Once more with feeling...

How much do I wish this would come to London?! Buffy the Musical! Great episode, would be even better in person...

3rd? Only 3rd?

Wow - I went to the 3rd Most Annoying Liberal Arts College in America... Should I be dismayed to be on the list? Or disappointed we only got to 3rd. But hey - quite an achievement for the write-ins after not making it on the original short-list. [only Swarthmoreans would do *extra work* to get onto a ranking list!]

And besides, as we always say about polls like these -- really, once you're in the top 5 darling, it's all so subjective.

It's all over...

Right, well – it’s done. After a focused nearly 4 hour binge last night, I have finished Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows. I know what the Hallows are, who (if anyone) dies, who doesn’t, and even What Happened Next…

And now it’s all over. I certainly wouldn’t class myself a Potter fanatic, but I am sad there are no more, it’s been an enjoyable adventure of a read. I was almost willing myself to read slower, so I wouldn’t come to the end so quickly – and yet I had to find out what happened! And find out you do – pretty much every question is resolved (and if I have one criticism of the book, it was how neatly and quickly that happened, when it did. Kind of like one of those crime shows where in the last minute the novelist- or business man & his wife- or coroner- or pesky school kids- turned-accidental-detective(s) says ‘Of course. The note left in the dining room was a love letter from Jane to John; Jim saw that, and therefore *he* was the one to run John off the road in a fit of jealousy; he’d cleverly rigged a Ferris Bueller type device with pulleys and a mannequin to make it look like he was in his front room the whole time. When we saw he’d recently downloaded Ferris Bueller’s day off from iTunes, and then found his receipt from PulleysRUs, we realised the extent of his deception. Case solved.' But I digress…).

But all in all, a good read, fast paced, very dark in some places, but with some levity (and I kept wondering 'how will they film that?!'

And now at least I can read the reviews and comments I’ve been avoiding!

tick-tock, tick-tock

Yep, almost time for HP7 -- the last Harry Potter book hits the cash register in 7 1/2 hours uk time, 12 1/2 US... and I guess is already being eagerly devoured by some aussie fans 8, 9, 10 hours ahead...

I've ordered my copy, and assuming no new snap postal strike, should get it tomorrow midday... though a little part of me wants to go to one of the open stores tonight at 12:01 -- it *is* the last one after all.

But I'm sure at 12:01 I'll be fast asleep - so think I can make it until tomorrow...

Play Ball!

As an update from his birthday adventures... the cutest nephew ever has just joined the You Tube generation:

No, no, a thousand times no!

What's the date? Oh yeah, July 19th. Ok, I know the weather outside is frightful... but it is STILL not time for Christmas. And yet there was Selfridges in the news today unveiling its Christmas display -- 'Bejeweled' or some such thing. Why? Well, the spokewoman says it's because magazine deadlines are so far in advance. Uh huh. That's what photo shoots are for... the publicity of being in the news for the first Christmas announcement had nothing to do with it I'm sure...

Sunday Puzzle

How exciting: I've now solved TWO NPR Sunday Puzzles in a row... am I getting cleverer? Or are they just a little easier? (I think the latter...)

Still no call to London though -- I'll be by the phone today at 3pm EST just in case! (not sure why Thursday not Sunday however...)

A few hours left for this week's puzzle:
Take the two-word name of a well known city in Michigan, and its not Ann Arbor. Add the letter "E" to the first world and rearrange the letters, you'll name something people try to avoid. Add the letter "E" to the second world and rearrange the letters, you'll name something else people try to avoid. And here's a hint: Both words start with the same letter, and both words end with the same letter. What's the city and what are the words? [I just picture this like the anagrams on Jeopardy!, with the letters shifting around on the screen: POTS -- STOP... oooh! tough one!]


Can you solve last week's?:
Name two outdoor sports or games in seven letters. The first two letters of the first sports name are the same as the first two letters in the second sports name. And the last two letters of the first sports name are the same as the last two letters in the second sports name. Hint: The names do not end in "N-G." What sports or outdoor games are these? [hmm... they had over 2,000 entries, which is more than usual, so guess it *was* fairly easy...]

One more thing...

Here's one more scene from Skansen... the friendliest peacock in the world!

Swedish delight

So – weekend before last we were supposed to have a little UK roadtrip... see a few friends, enjoy a day in the Cotswolds, relax, soak in the English countryside. Except, after what seemed like 8 weeks of rain, Ashley said – forget this, let’s get out of here, let’s go to... sunny Stockholm!

Er... as the pictures show, Stockholm was anything but sunny (of course until we took off) – but that doesn’t matter, was great to get away and see somewhere new, and I’d definitely recommend it. Especially in the sun.

It’s an incredibly walkable city (though hillier than I expected, built as it is across several islands). I saw a sign calling it ‘The Venice of the North’, but that’s not really accurate I suppose because it’s not canals running between the islands. And no gondoliers in stripy shirts.

We were only there 2 ½ days, but packed a fair bit in, including not one but TWO meatball meals (yum!) and I also tried a reindeer steak (think I preferred the meatballs). And – double yum – pickled herring, though not nearly as prevalent as I thought it would be. Oh yeah - we did more than eat. Though Ashley did like the chocolate balls at Wayne's Coffee - the Starbucks of the North. (until Starbucks buys them and becomes the Starbucks of the North themselves...)

One great visit was to Skansen, in the Djurgarden (a greenery-filled, er, garden island that also boasts an amusement park). Skansen is sort of like the Williamsburg of the North, though no peanut soup. And not as commercial. They did have old buildings brought from various parts of Sweden, in an attempt to show a variety of old Swedish life across the country – including tradesmen (and women) in period clothing. Skansen also had representative flora & fauna – so we saw the home of the Moose. Ok, it was really an elk, but hey, pretty much the same thing, right? (I'm sure the nice lady at Mooseworld would disagree!)

On the opposite entertainment spectrum, we tried out the Absolut Ice Bar – a bit surreal, and very touristy... and I’m not even a big vodka fan. But glad we went – a bit strange to be in an ice room, drinking from cups made out of ice, sitting on ice benches (we were glad to see they were covered with reindeer pelt throws).

One thing I really liked about Stockholm? Outdoor (and even some indoor) restaurants / cafes have blankets for their customers! Nice little polar fleece lap blankets in many places, a little better than what you get on the airplane – and just perfect for an al fresco meal even when it’s al frio weather. And much more environmentally friendly than heat lamps! Hmm... once again, that implies all we did was eat. Well... it *was* raining after all!

Happy birthday Toby!

aka 'the cutest nephew ever'! And a very exciting birthday too, as Toby takes to the field for the Mariners game tonight with the Moose to start the game: Play Ball! That is one boy who will *never* become a Yankees fan, that's for sure. ;-)

Can't wait to see the pix...

Wow - the Mariners and Ken Levine read my blog!

Clearly as a result of my recent plea, the Mariners have invited Ken Levine to cover a few games next week --such power I never realised I had. He'll join the booth for a few games against Detroit. (Let's hear it for Detroit). Guess that will be a few early mornings then!

Best. Run. Ever

Last Sunday I took part in my, umm, I think 5th British 10k, along with 20,000 other runn-/walk-/jogg-ers. And for once, I was incredibly happy for the overcast, cloudy, unseasonably cool weather -- and even happy for the misty rain through the first 15 minutes or so.

The course is a fun one, mostly flat (bar the horrid k5 to k6 stretch, all uphill - blah), that takes in quite a few sites, including a long stretch along the river, and then crossing Westminster Bridge.

I say my best run ever, because - while about a minute slower than my best 10k time -- it was the best I have *ever* felt running. AND, I think I did my fastest 5k time at the halfway - at 29:52. AND, we kept running through the dreaded uphill stretch after that.

Other highlights included rounding Big Ben just as it chimed 11 - bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong-g-g-g-g-g-g; hearing Chariots of Fire just as we turned the corner for the last 400m; still having enough energy to do a little sprint to the finish; and most of all, travelling the course with my British 10k partner-in-crime, Verity. This is our 2nd attempt together -- next year we'll break an hour, for sure!

For pictures of the happy rainy day -- click here. If it doesn't work, my race number was 14913.

Wimbledon update

So, yes, we went to Wimbledon last Friday - on what appears to have been the least rainy day so far, very lucky us, despite how the morning started. About a 1/2 hour downpour as you can see just as we arrived, but then pretty clear skies...

Of course, I'd been so concerned about packing for wind and rain, with multiple layers, waterproof bag, umbrella, etc. ... I completely forgot that it might actually be sunny! As I was rapidly turning pink in the unexpected but delightful sunshine, I was forced by my lack of foresight to buy some overpriced (is there any other kind) sun cream in the overpriced (is there any other kind) Wimbledon shop... Ah well - worth it for the sunny matches.

On to the match report:

First up, Jelena Jankovic vs. Lucy Safarova -- a tightly fought contest that went the full 3 sets; characterised in some part by the high number of challenges Jankovic made of the umpires' calls. What was most interesting to me was the fact that most of her challenges were upheld -- so challenging was definitely in her favour, though I think the crowd found it a bit unsportsmanlike or something. More power to her, I say, and she deserved to win.

Next we saw James Blake lose in 4 sets to Juan Carlos Ferrerro (whose official photo is really goofy I say - he looked a lot better on the court). The two seemed quite friendly, laughing at times at a few shots, and there the match was very fast paced. To my very untrained tennis eye, Blake seemed very eager and in control the first set, but then he seemed to slack off a bit, almost like he was out for a friendly backyard game or two. Obviously of higher caliber than your average home game, but still, not as agressive or consistent as the first set. And of course, that cost him the match.

Finally, we saw the first set of Andy (A-Rod 2) Roddick vs Fernando Verdasco (so US v Spain part deux). Although Verdasco challenged a bit, Roddick took care of him pretty quickly - at least in the set we saw, and certainly in the final game of it!

All in all, very enjoyable outing (despite having my souvenir 45p Daily Mail tennis ball binoculars confiscated by poo-head guards at the entrance, 'because they sell other commemorative items inside, these aren't allowed'. Humph - I didn't see any Wimbledon-branded tennis ball binoculars inside! And certainly nothing for 45p...)

Looking forward to the US Open already!

If it's raining, it must be Wimbledon

Yep - I finally get another opportunity to go to Wimbledon, and this is the view from our living room window...

Let's hope the forecast of sunny intervals in the afternoon is correct.

If not - Dad, this must be punishment for me trying to go again without you!

the Metro stole my headline

I was going to headline this 'All Change' - but the Metro used that already to mark Gordon Brown's first day as Prime Minister. I do still think it feels odd that without any sort of election or campaigns or lengthy battle for power (er, should I say, no lengthy official battle for power), this country has a new PM. Of course, big news here; only made it to item #3 on the New York Time's world pages -- better work harder Gord.

But rather than Gordon Brown, what the change really makes me think of is memories of 10 years ago, just after I decided to move to London. In preparation, I was obsessively consuming any item I could that had to do with the UK -- from CSPAN's coverage of Parliament, to old episodes of Monty Python. And as part of that, I followed closely the campaign and election of one Anthony Blair -- I can still see myself in my little kitchen in DC, reading a Newsweek article about how 'Clinton-esque' the campaign was...

Wow -- many changes in those 10 years - at least my hair hasn't gone as thin as Tony's! (though maybe as grey - I just cover it better...)

New favourite blog!

OMG - Ken Levine has a blog - fun read if you like TV (hmm - could that be me or anyone I know?) Come back to the Mariners, Ken!

Refugee Week

Thanks to TimeOut, I learned that this week is Refugee Week. And also thanks to TimeOut, I learned of a small friendly museum, tucked away in the East End -- dedicated to these refugees and immigrants to London. And so, thanks to TimeOut, I saw a little piece of London history I never even had an idea existed. (and no, I don't sell TimeOut, but at least glad I read it this week! ;-)

19 Princelet Street is a classic symbol of the various immigrant communities that have made London home at one time or another. Originally home to a Huguenot weaver, it then was converted into a synogogue in 1869. Sadly over time, as the Jewish community moved out of the East End, the house fell into disrepair. About 10 years ago (not that I can find the exact date), a trio of philanthropists / activists decided to attempt to preserve the house, as the Museum of Immigration.

It's still badly in need of funds -- and hugely deserving of them as well. The current exhibit -- Suitcases and Sanctuary -- is incredibly well done, having been created with local school children, as they learn about the immigrant history of the neighbourhood. Given the funding needs, the museum is only open a few days a year -- Refugee Week being the big push -- so we were lucky to get the opportunity to see it.

Unfortunately you're not allowed to take photographs inside, but I did buy some postcards! I was amazed by the memorial notices still visible inside of the synogogue -- complete with notations of how much of a donation their loved ones had given in their memory!

Mac or PC... PC or Mac

I've got, got, GOT to get a new laptop, and confess I'm being drawn to a MacBook. I played with one a few days ago, and love the 'Garage Band' application in iLife (among other. things) - and it does look so easy to use. But I wish Mac-olytes weren't so darn smug! I really hate those 'Mac vs PC' ads - more for their 'ooh, aren't we cool and PC users lame' attitude. Makes me want to buy a PC in spite of knowing that a Mac would likely be better for home use like photos, video, e-mail, media...

And the guy at the Apple store was so derogatory as well -- when I asked about my personal website, and mentioned I'd bought an out-of-the-box offering from Mr Site, he said 'see - with a PC you have to buy everything separately'. So I asked 'wow -does that mean that with the Mac I'd get my own URL and web hosting space for my site then?'

Mr Apple: 'no, you'd have to subscribe to .Mac, and if you wanted your own URL, say, www.planetwulfagar.com, you'd have to buy that too.'
Me: 'Um, so, you're not really convincing me of the positive differences here - it looks like I'd have to buy something in either case.'
Mr A: 'Well, .Mac is more than just web hosting'
Me: 'It's still an additional expense. So it's unfair to say only with a PC do you have to buy extras'
Mr A: (ignores me and moves on to demonstrate Garage Band, which did indeed distract me)

So -anyone out there want to advise? Watch this space!

brush with celebrity

OMG. So, I'm about to leave for work this morning, and as I casually glance out the front room windows, I see:

and of course, while there are no identifying marks on the vans (this was one of 2), it's clearly a film crew of some sort. So, in typical Lucy Ricardo, 'I wanna be in show business' manner, I start to head outside, real casual like, but with a big smile, ready to be talent spotted, which of course I will accept with nonchalant style and charm.

But THEN, just before I go leave... I see the star of the show, and realise that while, yes, an honest-to-goodness British celeb was right outside our building, there was no way they'd be choosing me for a part, extra or otherwise.

For it was none other than Mr Jeremy Clarkson, waiting to film the very popular, motoring petrol-head show Top Gear. So instead of asking to be in the show, I just asked to take his picture. Proof, y'know. And he somewhat graciously complied. Well, not too graciously -- but really, what was he going to do. Actually, it was neither gracious nor ungracious -- more neutral and a bit bemused more than anything. But that'll do. Should I send it to Heat? Hmm...

Once in a blue moon is when?

Huh. Turns out a 'blue moon' *isn't* the 2nd full moon in a month... Thanks, NPR!