Mattress season

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

I know, I know, it’s been a while... Sorry.

I snapped this picture on my way home from the gym (which I haven’t visited in weeks because I had a head cold and then “minor surgery” to remove a ganglion in my wrist—yuck).

I took this for two reasons: First, there is a fine tradition of skanky old mattress photos by contemporary artists (Todd Hido, for example); and Second, it seemed to be mattress season in North Kensington and I wanted to document it (though this is my only one). By mattress season, I mean that for about a week the streets were filled with mattresses: night and day, all sizes and colors, on just about every road. I’m not sure why. Maybe the council scheduled a special rubbish collection. Maybe there were good sales on new mattresses in January. Maybe it was just unconscious herd behavior...

A country walk in Oxfordshire

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

With Steven in San Francisco for the 15-year WIRED reunion, Chris and I decided it would be nice to head out of London for a lovely day in the country. After turning the house upside down I found our copy of “Country Walks Near London” (since I didn't want to fork out £13 for another one).

Yesterday we took a train from Paddington to Henley-on-Thames, switching at Twyford. Setting out on the abridged 8.8 mile route (as opposed to the full-on 13.7 mile, ten and a half hour one) we walked over the hill and through the woods... and over the hill and through the woods... and over the hill... well, you get the idea. I think in this part of the world they call the hills escarpments, but that’s probably just because they like using words with more letters.

Among the notable fauna we observed were some old horses wearing blankets, several kites (a kind of bird), and a few teenage girls hopping around the train platform wearing nothing but sleeping bags and knickers (the British kind). There were also a couple of planes doing aerobatics above the fields all afternoon (not exactly fauna, I know).

We had lunch at the Rainbow Pub in Lower Assenden and tea at the Henley Tea Rooms, which is run by Spaniards and staffed by Vietnamese.

It’s my party...

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Snapped this one outside the gym yesterday (my actual birthday)... 

Last night Steven & I went to dinner at Texture (everything was very textural). We thought of opening a whole series of restaurants: Flavor, Color, Temperature - the list could go on and on. The meal started out with some crispy skins (cod, potato, parmesan - I’m not sure whether parmesan has skin) and two dipping sauces: wasabi somethingorother and “Bali” yoghurt. It took a few minutes to figure out that “Bali” is antipodean for “barley,” thus explaining the lumpy chewy bits. Then there was some bacon popcorn - yum! Next came a tiny glass pot with parsnip and granny smith apple stuff. Steven had Scottish scallops and I had Cornish crab as a starter (ooh - more restaurant ideas: Name, Alliteration, Spelling). Our main courses were roast suckling pig with squid and other fishy things for Steven and Icelandic lamb with fregola and beetroot for me. Then came tiny glass pots again, this time filled with blood orange textures (fruit, jelly and granita). For dessert I had warm chocolate goop with olive oil, cardamom ice cream and a sculptural fennel sugar spike, and Steven had coconut textures (um, ice cream, something else, another thing, more stuff, and a mini metal toothpaste tube filled with coconut sauce for squirting everywhere).

Today I’m baking bread as prescribed by some old codger, going to the gym, waiting for a delivery of cupcakes from Cookie Girl, then heading over to The Fat Badger to eat one and stare at the rest, since everybody was busy this weekend, the weather’s crap, and the Hammersmith & City line is closed for track replacement.

Art ‘n stuff

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

We kicked off Saturday at Alfies, helping Neil pick out an occasional chair (very unusual round Scandinavian number with almost nautical details) for his living room. While he was getting the thing into his boot, Steven & I lunched on the best fish & chips we’ve eaten so far. After giving Neil our brutal assessment in situ (two thumbs up), we purchased a copy of Laura Owens’ gorgeous catalog (from a show we saw at the Camden Arts Centre a while ago) for half price at Sadie Coles HQ. On our way home, we took a little detour to look at some very pretty Rachel Howard paintings at Haunch of Venison. Once home, we popped downstairs to pick out our pan-parental Christmas gift, settling on an ink on paper piece (“Untitled 2”) by Tanya Ghosh (who happens to be William’s wife and a fabulous fashion illustrator).

Coming home

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

We did a little backing and forthing on this trip. At the moment we’re back at JFK waiting for our delayed red-eye to Heathrow. Previously we were in Manhattan after being back in New Jersey (Franklin Lakes and Fort Lee), and Manhattan again before that, and New Jersey (Fair Haven and Fort Lee) before that! I think. More or less. Pretty much. Maybe.
Anyhow, this picture was taken at the new New Museum cafe. It’s a great building (loaded with venustas) and an interesting institution - glad we went. We also checked out the recent Renzo Piano-designed renovation/addition to the Morgan Library - another worthy trip.
Our flight should be boarding soon, hopefully, so we’ll be back in London in a few hours!

London fog

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

After lunch with Suzette & Jeff at Le Cafe Anglais (do believe the hype) we walked down Queensway searching for sage (to no avail). Then we crossed Hyde Park and had a look at the Serpentine Gallery’s current misty exhibit by Anthony McCall. The park was stunningly beautiful. Despite London’s foggy reputation, we haven’t experienced anything like this in our three years here...

Wow!

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Makes you want to get on a train... just to go... anyplace!
This was my first visit to the newly refurbished (and re-christened) St. Pancras International station, which has replaced Waterloo International as London’s Eurostar terminus. I must say it’s very impressive. See? The Brits really are good at stuff! I had to resist strong urges to buy a ticket and board the next train.
I was, however, disappointed that there isn’t any kind of Eurostar memorabilia (“tat” in local parlance) available for purchase. The platform-level WH Smith had one post card with a picture of a speeding train on it. But sans context, it looks like any not-so-old train. You’d want a picture of it pulling into this magnificent Victorian shed, whizzing past a country village church steeple, or passing something Parisian... I thought it a bit odd that they sell models and plush toys of BA & Virgin Atlantic planes, but nothing Eurostar-themed. Seems like they’re missing a major merchandising opportunity — kinda surprising in this day and age, don’t you think? Hello! Gimme an embroidered patch, a keychain or a fridge magnet at the very least! Is that too much to ask?

TreeQuest ‘07

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Any of you (Maggie, Suzette, Lauren?) who’ve experienced the joys of prior TreeQuests will appreciate what a special experience the first reconnaissance outing in a foreign country must have been... I won’t go into too much detail here...
Suffice to say that this picture is false advertising. Sure, it’s charming as heck, but this was just the first stop, and, well, let’s just say that the gloom and cold rain matched the mood of certain members of our party (ok, member). Chris, our driver, had mistakenly passed the closer place (the one that didn’t pre-net their trees) - but we tried to put on a good face and say we really wanted to see the reindeer, the bull, the pigs, the chickens, the medieval abbey ruin, the pretty Gothic farm buildings, and stuff.
Since we had already traveled so far, we decided that instead of dropping Steven at the Farnham train station (at his request, don’t ask), we would proceed to Alice Holt Woodland Park (under darkening skies). WHEW! Thank goodness! Supposedly it’s a very pleasant park with scenic walks and things, but most importantly, we found ourselves deciding between three equally lovely specimens, any of which would have made the perfect Christmas tree.
Note to expats: bring your own rope or bungee cord - they don’t help you here.
Or get your friend to borrow the scuba school Jeep (another disaster narrowly averted - thanks again, Chris!).
After that it was pretty much smooth sailing. We stopped for a lovely cuppa with Jane, David and Charlie. Much to David’s chagrin, Chris mesmerized Charlie by getting 99 points playing Bopit (Chris also happens to know that Bopit only counts up to 250).
The tree is now up and mostly trimmed. Stay tuned for pics.

Oh my!

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

We just got back from a hyper-extended weekend in Gran Canaria. Even though we planned the trip WAY before our CP (that’s Civil Partnership), it wound up serving as a honeymoon of sorts - just a coincidence, I guess. Miraculously, Steven relaxed almost instantly and only talked about work for 2 or 3 minutes on our last day. As Neil - one of our hosts - commented: it’s the kind of destination where “you can leave your brain at home.” I’d actually say best to leave the brain at home, because you wouldn’t want it to get dirty or for anything bad to happen to it...
Why did we go to a trashy place with zero culture and bad food? SUN. Yup, when you’ve got about 7 or 8 hours of daylight and the sky is relentlessly gray, a four hour flight that lands on a warm sunny island in the same time zone becomes rather appealing!

The deed is done

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

There’s me, Gülay, Steven, and Jane in the Registrar’s office at Chelsea Old Town Hall. Gülay and Jane had to wait outside while the Registrar reviewed all the details (Does Patty have a middle name or doesn’t she? Steven’s an Advertising Director, correct? Etc.) and we looked at our ceremony options:
A) The Short Ceremony: I, ______________, promise to share my life openly with you, ______________.
B) The Full-Length Ceremony: I, ______________, will go antiquing with you, _______________. Then we’ll move to the country, open a B&B, adopt a couple of Guatemalan babies, and live in connubial partnered bliss civilly and happily until death do us part so help me God amen blah blah blah etc. etc.
C) The Very Short Ceremony: Yo! We’re civil partners, dude!
We chose D) None of the Above.
Then the Registrar had to copy lots of stuff into the Register while we all sat there. To while away the time, Jane explained why she and Gülay were dressed the way they were to the Registrar and her assistant. Steven had a difficult time explaining it all to me, using the blanket excuse of “after X glasses of wine, ...” Lots of signing ensued, and then we were done.
After inspecting the Bridal Powder Room, Steven & I exited the building and our wititnesses pelted us with potpourri (apparently confetti is a no-no in these green times) while a poor, unsuspecting Italian tourist was conscripted to snap a couple photos for posterity.
We then hopped in a taxi and headed to a secret destination for lunch. The only clue was that Steven & I had to wear jackets & ties. Somehow this must have compensated for the ladies’ extreme cleavage, as we were actually admitted to (and served at) the R.A.C.
And, you know, that’s pretty much it. Now we’re hitched!

Where it all started

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

(well, sort of). The story goes that one summer day Steven was sitting on this bench when I came out of the RISD mail room (which was across the street at that time), saw him, and went over to say “hi.” We had previously been introduced at an ID class picnic (he was going to go home to New Jersey but stayed in Providence when he heard I’d be there). I don’t remember whether we were already working in the BEB (me in the now-obsolete DAS office, he painting desks in the studios) or if that was still to come. Somehow the trash can and PVC pipe weren’t there in my mental picture of THE BENCH. Maybe I’ll Photoshop them out...
The reason for this trip down memory lane, for those of you who haven’t been paying attention, is that we’re about to do our Civil Partnership ceremony. Trying to keep the whole affair low-key, so not making a big deal about it. I mention the CP for information purposes only, just so you all know and don’t feel left out...

My home town

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

This is about five minutes from where I grew up. It used to be the A&P, but now the A&P is across the street and ten times bigger. The image is a little bit deceptive, because if you walked five minutes in the other direction you’d be in a park with big beautiful trees and very tall cliffs along the Hudson River stretching all the way up to New York State. The forecast for the duration of my journey is cold, grey and drizzly. I’ll be taking the train up to Providence on Saturday morning, then making my way to Boston on Monday for my flight back to London...

Car for anorexics...

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Sorry. Bad joke. But seriously, this is pushing the whole motorized wheelchair thing a bit far, don’t you think? And while it’s so diminutive the driver could have pulled right up to the till at Tesco, they didn’t. Got out and walked into the store. To me it seems like something out of Wallace & Gromit. Or France...

NSPD 51

One of the reasons we don’t live in America right now...
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070509-12.html
Think it could only happen in Burma or Pakistan?

Two days later

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Gone. Almost without a trace. And I never even got a chance to take a picture of the “hardware store” window at the Progresso coffee shop. Oh, well...

A vague recollection

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

There are a couple of things on Portobello Road these days that aren’t real. Across the road from the HSBC ATMs, for example, is a strange and wondrous window display of vintage items with vintage price tags. When Steven and I first saw it, we thought it was some kind of art installation. Turns out, like this corner café (oops, I mean appliance store), it’s just a film set. Today there was a whole fake Portobello Market, and Steven says he saw hippies over the weekend (the movie, starring Sienna Miller, is called “Hippie Hippie Shake” and takes place in the 1960s).
It all reminds me of when they were shooting a movie in TriBeCa and they built something for it that everybody loved and thought should really be there. But I can’t remember the name of the movie, what the thing was, or if it ever made it into reality. Anybody care to offer this senile old man a little reminder?

Another lovely London weekend

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Properly gray and rainy, yet thought provoking and full of beauty. We had a wonderful dinner at the Fat Badger, were chased by an adorable rat along the Thames, wandered among Henry Moore sculptures and gorgeous foliage at Kew Gardens, went out in Soho - twice, saw the Crack and a Louise Bourgeois retrospective at Tate Modern... We laughed, we cried, it were better than Cats!

Why London doesn’t suck:

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Reason 437: Steven & I tossed a frisbee around this Hampstead Heath field with our friend Chris yesterday.

‘Til death do us part...

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Just so’s y’all know... Steven & I have an appointment with the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Superintendent Registrar at 5pm on Thursday, October 25th. The purpose is to file our “notice of intent to form a civil partnership.” Then there’s a sixteen day waiting period (I can’t tell if that means we can do the deed on November 10th, or after November 10th, but I guess we’ll find out on Thursday). At such time as we actually tie the knot, we will require two witnesses. I’m not sure of the qualifications, but any volunteers?

Working for the Man

Originally uploaded by sf2london.

Heya, for the last few days I’ve been working at Lowe (in an office right next to Steven’s). I’m helping put together a presentation he’ll be giving in Helsinki on Monday. We had been saying the whole thing was kinda like a fire drill, when lo and behold, there was an actual fire drill yesterday!
That’s Steven’s colleague, and our friend, Teresa, by the way...