cycling the northern line overground

there was a city-sponsored cycling event through part of london today. s and i got a late start, but still managed to ride on streets we wouldn't normally dare. cool.


cyclists on the embankment












meeting k and c at temple tube






it was impressive to see so many cyclists in and around central london. while i had, in fact, pre-registered for the event, and received one of the coveted event packs, i did not wear my red reflective bib (seen in the photos above). perhaps wearing a neon yellow high visibility vest at work everyday made it seem a bit less exciting. still, i try to be a responsible cyclist - i always wear a helmet, use hand signals, and wear sensible clothes (most of the time.) the trouble is that no matter how safe you think you are as a cyclist, drivers have other ideas. it was amazing to ride along the embankment without the fear of being hit by a taxi.


and now for our route. i used google maps to get approximate distances.


flat --> wimbledon station: 1.9 miles
wimbledon station --> waterloo station via train: 8.8 miles
waterloo station --> temple tube station: 1 mile
temple station --> embankment station: 0.6 miles

break for lunch on villiers street with k and c

embankment station --> london bridge: 2.2 miles
london bridge --> flat: 8 miles

total cycling distance: 13.7 miles more or less


and now i'm feeling good from the endorphin rush, but my bum is sore!

d'oh!

everyone is doing the simpsons thing:

s simpson

m simpson

even fake steve jobs simpson

so here i am, in all my yellow glory.

make your own at simpsonizeme.com

borough market

by the way, i have now reached 100+ posts, for those of you who are counting



we went to borough market yesterday with m, k and baby v.







we got gooseberry & elderflower jam, orange & ginger marmalade, and plum jam from the west country to eat with a loaf of handmade bread.







i also bought an artichoke, aubergine/eggplant, red pepper and some fresh basil. FRESH BASIL. one of the best aromas on the planet. now to make some killer pasta...







somehow i managed to forget to buy some fresh berries, but i snapped a picture nonetheless.



and lunch at the southwark tavern. cheers!

mitchell & webb

two of our current fave comedian/actors are david mitchell & robert webb.


we discovered them by watching episodes of peep show on virgin atlantic flights to and from san francisco. i used my birthday money to buy seasons 1-3 on DVD and we watched season 4 when it was on in the spring. if you haven't watched peep show yet (ahem, little sis, cough, cough), then you're missing out on some of the biggest laughs - and cringeworthy scenes - to come out in a while. look it up on youtube.


mitchell & webb were also selected to play mac and pc for the british apple ads. again, youtube it. funny.


recently, they started a sketch show called that mitchell & webb look, a TV version of their radio program, that mitchell and webb sound. watch some here on youtube. i got free tickets to be part of the audience for a season 2 live recording, and we went on friday night.


the recording was at the BBC television centre in white city (west london). the tickets said that access to the premises was from 5:45 PM; i got in the queue at exactly 5:45 and we barely managed to secure some of the last seats available. once inside the building, we waited in the cafe area, complete with dalek, until we were ushered into the studio.





they were using three sets for the recording but a surprising amount of tape had already been recorded on various locations. they showed us the recordings on several large video screens and we supplied the laugh track - one of the easiest jobs i have done in a long time! we also watched while they taped a few scenes live. can't wait to see season 2 in february! i am quite confident that it will still be funny.


while we were sad not to catch any of the angel summoner and the BMX bandit, they have continued with numberwang. i don't want to give too much away, so i am going to stop this entry here and suggest that you watch this. das is numberwang!

5 fruit and veg per day

while i'm being creative and domestic, i thought i'd spend some quality time in the kitchen over the weekend.





i made tagliatelle with chicken and vegetables in a sundried tomato/pesto sauce using:

aubergine/eggplant
carrot
red pepper
yellow pepper
mushrooms
red onion
artichoke hearts
sundried tomatoes
oregano

it needed more green, but the broccoli had gone off. yuck. made enough for dinner and lunch the following day - the best kind of meal.



for dessert, i made raspberry kiwi crumble and served it with coconut yogurt.





yum! it would have been even better if i had remembered to sprinkle some cinnamon on top!



incidentally, i bought the apron at IKEA a few years ago and rescued it from one of the boxes of dishes that had been in storage at my parents' house. if i ever learn how to sew, this is the kind of thing i could see myself making. but until s lets me turn his office into a craft room, i'll stick to knitting for now.

presenting the penguin

"i liked penguins before they were popular"
- my friend, m





last year for her birthday, i made jewelry, and i'm proud to say that she still wears and loves it. how could i possibly follow last year's triumph?


enter the penguin!





it took about one month of lunch breaks and stolen moments on weekends and tube rides to make the free pattern on knitty, plus accessories. naturally.


the penguin, who has been named ofelia (for pan's labyrinth, not hamlet) has two mix-and-match accessory combinations.


in the top photo, ofelia is wearing her yellow garter stitch scarf and stockinette mittens (i especially like the mittens - can you imagine a real penguin wearing wool on its wings?)


in the lower photo, she is sporting a striped black-and-white scarf, sewn together with a penguin button (it slides over her head for easier access.) her totebag is in moss stitch with a crocheted strap. it also has a penguin button on it. practical and fashionable, just like m.


she also has lovely, sparkly eyes and a soft tummy. must say, i was impressed with the pattern - she actually stands on her own. i hadn't expected that.


rumor has it that ofelia will soon be the penguin to add as your friend on myspace. stay tuned for details!


happy birthday, m! remember me in february, ha ha :)

party like it's 1999 (or 1986 or 2007)

ok, i know it's not a very good photo, but the screen says:


"We request that no one take photographs or record tonight's performance.

This show is for your memories."


fat lot of good it did. the instant prince appeared on stage, the place lit up with people taking pictures on their mobiles and smuggled-in cameras. i can't say i didn't smuggle in my camera (or, for that matter, two rather sharp 4mm bamboo knitting needles, assorted sewing needles and a pair of scissors), but i didn't actually take pictures during the show. see, i've got principles.


and i've got memories of a REALLY GOOD SHOW! prince rocked
the O2 (the eyesore formerly known as the millennium dome). i'm sure you can find reviews of the concert elsewhere on the web. as people had been reporting, prince teased the audience with several encores after it seemed like the performance was over (of course, we had all read the reviews so we stayed there cheering loudly and expectantly - he kindly obliged.) the first half was mainly songs i had never heard before, with nostalgic ballads like purple rain thrown in to please the crowd (ser: it brought me straight back to the last dance of 8th grade when matt fisher finally asked me to dance! never saw him again after that but OMG i still remember that night.)


the second half was more recognizable for me, at least, and the last few people sitting got up and danced, until the entire arena was singing along and having fun. the energy was amazing, and it certainly looked like prince and his band were enjoying themselves, too. his band, incidentally, were terrific. he kept giving them solos and encouraging them by saying things like, "this is real music! this doesn't come out of a machine!" he was right. there was a lot of talent on that stage.


two enthusiastic thumbs up. i downloaded the new CD, so prince goes back on my regular playlist for a while.


i'm sure s is glad i have an ipod :)

generation DIY

holy boxes, batman! how much stuff does a girl need?!


i have reached another milestone. i hesitate to call myself an "adult" - perhaps a better way to say it would be "independent entity living on a different continent with my husband" (IELOADCWMH - yeah, that really rolls off the tongue) - but for all intents and purposes, i no longer rely on my parents for absolutely everything. which means that storing all this stuff is now my problem. too bad for s that it's his problem, too!


(did you marry a woman with a lot of baggage? no, but don't get me started on the boxes.....)


while i was packing the boxes at my parents' house in june, i managed to throw out almost as much as i kept. and still, the piles of things i couldn't bear to live without! one advantage to moving as many times as i have is that i have actually got my belongings down to a minimum. maybe minimum is the wrong word. reasonable amount depending on your point of view?


most of the things i kept are old photo albums, letters, jewelry, trinkets, toys, yearbooks. the irreplaceable stuff that takes me back to a time or place or friend or really bad haircut. souvenirs from japan. keepsakes from the salt lake city olympics. the entire calvin & hobbes collection. asterix books in french and italian. one of those flat rubik's magic puzzles - even s was playing with it. these things are important! authentic 80s paraphernalia, dude. it was like, rad being 13 in 1986.


so the question is where will we put it all? now that i have gone from big hair and neon accessories to pilates classes and trying to eat more organic food, i guess there's only one solution for a 30-something consumer like me: IKEA. good thing there's a bank holiday coming up this month!

HP7 - no spoilers, i promise

just:

WOW.

anyone who still thinks that j.k. rowling is *just* an author of childrens' books has a lot to explain.

breathing easy

i have been waiting for this day for such a long time: england has gone smoke-free!








to celebrate, a bunch of us had sunday lunch at the southwark tavern near london bridge. mmm, roast... it was sooo lovely to sit at a pub, taste everything, and leave without feeling the immediate need to do laundry and wash my hair. in fact, a few of us adjourned to the nearby brew wharf for afters!


the smoking ban is going to improve my quality of life to no end. in order to avoid smoky places, i have spent a lot of time and money in chains like starbucks over the last three years. i'm looking forward to exploring the smaller independents and generally enjoying going out more. hooray!

back to cali

s and i spent a quick week in berkeley with my family. the weather was amazing and we had a great time.


we took an evening cruise to alcatraz. if you ever consider visiting the rock, i highly recommend the evening tour, especially if you can get a fog-free, warm summer night like we did!


view of coit tower from the embarcadero, before the cruise



the ferry



a, d, s, b



alcatraz from the ferry



the alcatraz audio tour has recently been updated, and you are guided around the prison by voices of former inmates and correctional officers who recount their experiences. it is definitely dismal and institutional, but the guides speak about alcatraz with a strange sort of nostalgia.


the cells were tiny, but apparently many inmates felt more safe while they were locked away from the other prisoners, who might have had reason to hurt them...



the worst offenders were locked in 24-hour cells, meaning they were not allowed outside their cells at any time. perhaps to compensate for their increased isolation, they were given larger cells.



they also had to contend with cold, howling wind (the corridor is particularly drafty, even to this day) and beautifully cruel views of san francisco - so close but so so far away.


view from one of the peepholes, which allowed prisoners to see exactly what they were missing



prisoners with outdoor privileges could use the recreation area, which happens to have a great view of the golden gate bridge. nice, huh?





note: even though it was a gorgeous evening, we still had to wear our fleeces. in san francisco. in the summer. the song should go, "if you're going to california, pack layers..."








but it wasn't all slammers and sunsets...




the main reason we went was to celebrate with my sister after she finished her MBA!






we also strolled through the redwoods in muir woods...










...and we spent just long enough on muir beach to dip our toes (ok, i dipped my toes) in the pacific ocean. wwwwwinnndyyy!!!








last, we spent an afternoon in palo alto.

fabergé? no, this egg-like statue is made of old motherboards. of course!



regretfully, we were in the bay area just a few days too soon for the iphone launch, ratatouille, and sicko. but i did manage to smuggle home a black macbook and a harvey's seatbelt bag. just doing my bit to support the american economy (read: take advantage of the amazing exchange rate, cough cough ahem.)

i also shipped back 13 boxes - thirteen boxes! - containing photos, books, old letters, souvenirs from japan, trinkets (so many trinkets!), basically the last of the things i somehow can't live without. the rest was either put aside for a yard sale, tossed or recycled. you would be proud of how much i managed to purge, but there's still plenty left... we have one month before the shipment arrives. i foresee some DIY!

going to the gherkin

one of the most striking and iconic buildings on the london skyline is affectionately known as the gherkin, for its cucumber-like shape. s's former colleague kindly invited us up to the top to drink in the view...and a few cocktails.



view of the dome from inside



view of tower bridge and the tower of london. the building in the foreground, framed by the v, is s's office.



m in her new bright blue glasses






s and our hostess, m



fiery, red sunset over hampstead heath


it was lovely to see london from above. i still get a little thrill every time i see the familiar landmarks: the london eye, tower bridge, big ben, king's cross station. i hope that feeling doesn't wear off for a long time, because i plan to be here for a while...

poshdarling

i got my hair highlighted, cut and straightened this morning.





still no resemblance to victoria beckham.*



*on so many fronts!