Mother and child reunion July 31, 2007

so this morning, i left my little flat in london to head home. it was a bittersweet departure as i really loved my little place and my neighborhood, and of course the damn weather is finally improving in london. the flight was great - virgin has this wonderful offer for upper class passengers - you get a complimentary car service to and from the airport - on the way to the airport, you literally drive up to the terminal and they take your bags from the car and check you in right then and there. then you fast track through security and the virgin clubhouse is huge and very nice. the flight wasn't sold out so it was quiet and i got some sleep in, and watched blades of glory, such a funny movie. when i came home, there was mass hysteria in the backyard and i was attacked by both girls and they couldn't stop kissing me and jumping on my lap. i cannot tell you how happy i was to see their little faces. we then had a nice family bonding moment on the bed and caught up on entourage - i had a puppy on either side of me. ella kept rolling over onto her back when i would pass by her so i could rub her belly - the ultimate in puppy trust. i am incredibly tired, but glad to be home. i am going to have a think on my favorite parts of my trip and make a list tomorrow as i have no brain to do so tonight.

Last night in London July 20, 2007 part two

for my last day in london, i spent most of the day packing and getting items shipped off. thankfully, the gentleman at the shipping place were really nice and helpful. tonight i had drinks finally at my local pub, the iron duke, with a couple of co-workers and really enjoyed it, i am disappointed that i hadn't gone there sooner as it was really charming and i loved the people in it - a good mix. afterwards, we went to mews on mayfair for dinner outside and had a great time talking and just hanging out. before dinner, i went and took some pics of "spread eagle" which is really the name of a pub near me. i know i have a twisted mind as when i discovered it i giggled and the people around me looked at me quite odd but i knew no one would believe me if i told them such a place existed. i think i amused the patrons when i took my photos this afternoon. i really had a good night tonight and while i will miss this amazing city, i look forward to heading home.

Countdown to puppy time! July 30th, part 1

i'll be home very soon and cannot wait to see everyone - particularly to get some puppy snuggle time in...wayne has been a very good single parent and can use the break - i sent him very detailed instruction for bathing the girls and he did a good job.

Last day as a tourist and pierce brosnan is following me July 29th, 2007

today was my last day touring around, i went to the dali universe exhibit at the gallery - i've hit three different exhibits that happened to feature dali, one of my favorite artists so i feel very lucky on this trip. i then went to tate britain and spent a couple of hours there and am glad that i made it as i didn't think i would have the time to visit. tonight, i had dinner with tiggy at daphne's which is known for it "posh" atmosphere and celebrity sitings. after about 30 minutes, i noticed that pierce brosnan and his wife were sitting by us - i just saw him at barbra streisand so i am convinced he is following me. (:-) ) he is quite handsome in person and i love the fact that his wife is a normal looking woman - she's beautiful but not a stick figure. afterwards, i met my friend tulin at claridges for a drink and a catch up. there was a crazy drunk man there that was entertaining for a bit but when he said he thought i was wearing a wig i decided it was time to move . we got seated at a table and noticed him bothering another person at the bar who also ending up escaping. our new friend ended up joining us (safety in numbers) and we had great discussion about the crazy man and travel in general...and he was quite generous and bought us our two glasses of wine. (i think he had a huge crush on my friend who is just beautiful and has an australian accent to top it all of) all in all, it was a great day to explore london and spend time with friends. my feet are KILLING me and i am definitely ready to come home, i love it here but i need to just sit still, lay in bed with the girls and watch a movie.

Portobello Market (again) and Blenheim Palace July 28th

this afternoon, i headed back over to portobello market as i wanted to explore notting hill a little bit more. when i was there at the beginning of my trip, i came across a shop that had these beautiful handmade masks from italy - i instantly though of my mom and her love for mardi gras and since i have been thinking about them for the past month, i decided to go buy one as i know she'd love it. the one i fell in love with was gorgeous with feathers but a tad pricey so i skipped it, i am happy with the one i got. to describe the market is sort of hard - but as a comparison point from just a crowd perspective, imagine the old town art fair and how there are booths/stalls on both sides of the street and people either walk down the street or along the sidewalk in between the stalls and the stores....my point is, there are a lot of people. so i was trying to get around these really slow people when i noticed a few people around a door pointing - when i looked, i saw this little cat just hanging out the pet door checking out the scene. i have to say it was the funniest thing i have seen in awhile - he didn't make a move to get out in the street which surprised me - unfortunately, i didn't get a shot of him siting like this, just peeking his head out - but you get the picture. i then explored notting hill a bit more and am really glad i did so, it's such a great area, lots of shops and boutiques, i could have stayed forever but needed to get home as i had plans with marina for the evening. the family left early from london and they had tickets to go see the battle proms and concert at blenheim palace. it was pre-booked, so the tickets would have gone to waste and i figured that since we didn't make it out to the cotswolds, this would be a great experience. it is located about an hour or so outside of london, near oxford. it's a a beautiful palace - sir winston churchill was born there. it was a gift to the first duke of marlborough by queen anned because of a great military victory. the battle proms includes a concert (tchaikovsky's 1813 overture, beethoven's battle symphony, etc.) with military reenactments, live cannon fires and ends with fireworks. we didn't get there early enough to really explore the grounds, which was disappointing, but made it in time for the start of the music, canons and then fireworks. let me remind everyone that i know zilch about the country, particularly the english countryside. i assumed that a sundress, sweater, shawl and FLAT sandles would be fine and brought along leggings too (we were going to be in a hospitality suite, not in the grass in the rain) i forgot my umbrella which i didn't think would be a big dea, and then i realized we are IN THE COUNTRY, thick grass, mossy things, rocks...the whole shebang but i managed to get through the grass without incident. once you arrive, a bunch of people are sitting in chairs eating, etc., enjoying the event. imagine ravinia, and then drop the temp down to 60 and add the dampness, rain and mosquitoes, and it's not as quiet and civilized. so we get to our tent and it's set for 7 people, and that includes the food as it was all preordered a (i had hoped other people would make it, but it just ended up being marina and i.) we couldn't stop laughing at the scene and i particularly liked playing with the lobster. the food certainly didn't go to waste, we ate and took most of it home -(a lot of it was meat unfortunately). we felt like such divas- people kept walking by our tent and gawked at us because i am sure we looked ridiculous - there were only 3 other hospitality tent so we did stand out - but there is no way in hell we could have enjoyed ourselves on the lawn - i regret not grabbing a flag - during the orchestra, people waved their british flags and sang along... they set up 6 canons and set them off, couldn't really see them but the resulting light show was gorgeous and i am glad i got a good shot. the fireworks were alright, not great but it was funny to see them go off in front of the palace. i kept waiting for the star spangled banner to start playing and then i realized i wasn't in the us (duh) it was truly a british country experience. and next time, i will remember to bring wellies and dress more sensibly.

Dancing queen July 27, 2007

last night, i had dinner with some former colleagues from my eloy days in notting hill. we had a great time catching up and just laughing - we went to a wine bar afterwards and had a bottle of champagne and wrapped up around 11. i then headed out to pangea to meet up with some other friends for a night of dancing. i think it's been years since i have danced this much - it's been a good time and i forgot how much i enjoyed doing it - and it's great exercise to boot. i am not a big club person anymore (ah, shelter at 20...) but i do love to dance and i must do more of it back home. we had a great time - about 10 of us were out - and danced until the place closed at 4 am. definitely tired today and a bit sore from wearing heels but feel refreshed if you can believe it. took tons of pictures - i love it when people act silly in pictures - you know i love to make the grouper face.... only 3 more days here and then i am home! wayne and i talk at least twice a day and ella and chloe about 10 times a day - they like to call a lot - so it's nice to stay connected. i do miss everyone a lot - i have been very blessed to have friends here who are making sure i am well taken care of but i do miss the nights sitting out on the deck back home....

Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Opera House July 25, 2007

before you go thinking i got some great snaps...sorry, my camera decided to act like a bastard tonight so i had to get the pictures from the internet to share. in any case, tonight, i was treated to a night at the royal opera house to see a performance of the la scala company's sleeping beauty. wow. i had a 10th row center seat and, while there really isn't a bad seat in the house, i felt like i was on stage. watching the ballet was as if a painting of versailles came alive - the dancers were like tiny feathers and the men could leap feet into the air - as if they were flying. it was my second verklempt moment of the week. the dancer who portrayed aurora was so pretty - she looked like kate bush (shout out to the kb fans out there) and the crowd was so enthusiastic about each performance, lots of bravos and bravas throughout the evening. inbetween the sets, you can zip off to one of the "cafes" in the theatre - you can pre order food and have a table waiting for you with your name on it and your food all ready - i ordered some veggies and hummus and cheese - that's the best vegetarian you can get. in the us (and i am sorry to be so negative), you could never do that - you know someone who steal your table and eat your food. this was really the best london experience i have had - to be in such a historical building and witness something so beautiful up close was something i was blessed to be a part of. i really missed mom tonight, she would have enjoyed the performance as well, that's something i regret that we never did together as i got older - see a ballet. but i felt her with me the whole time, truly in my heart, loving every moment with me. and so i don't end the post tonight on a sad note, a wise man once said, you are as sexy as one person should be allowed to be- just remember that folks as you go about your day...and try to understand what the hell it means.

The Queen's house and big birds, July 25, 2007

on sunday, we wandered around quite a bit - cut through st. james park to see buckingham palace and the onto see big ben, westminster abbey and the london eye. sunday was a beautiful day and we had some time to relax in the grass for a bit and listen to the orchestra play. the water fowl in st. james park is interesting - and darn those birds are BIG. our favorite was the black sway - he/she was so beautiful with it's red beak diving underneath the water to grab food. i think that is one of my favorite things - i love when ducks flip over with their rear ends and feet in the air while they look for food in the water...so cute. we didn't go into big ben, westminster, etc., as the crowds were a bit annoying and it was getting late (this is around the time we learned we had tickets for miss barbra). miss g had this thing about getting a photo in a london telephone booth and we never found the right time for a photo. on monday night, we decided the booth by my flat in front of the calvin klein store would be perfect. you can't see it in the picture, but most of the telephone booths have flyers in them for porn - either phone number for "chat" lines or for "escort" services. frankly, i would be scared to touch those phones given the advertisements inside. this evening, i had dinner at amaya again - i wish we had such a restaurant in chicago - i cannot even describe the indian food here...it's just amazing. i cannot believe i just have a week left - the time has flown by, for the past few days i have really been hurting for the girls, even though they are in great hands, i cannot help but feel terrible for leaving them as they must think i have left them for good. once i get back, they will each gain 20 pounds because they will get a lot of treats and spaghetti in honor of ella's 3rd birthday.

The lost weekend and Babs July 23rd

so how do i begin to describe the weekend that miss g and i had...? on saturday, we got stuck in the rain again and wandered up marylebone high street and ended up in this store owned by a very friendly russian woman. any label you want can be sewn into the attire - you want chloe? no problem. and then she pulls out the fake bags - you come back monday, i have more bags, she says. pretty decent copies but still expensive - copies bug me, what's the point if you can't have the real thing? we had afternoon tea at the parlour at sketch while it rained a bit more - i am sure many of you have heard about the flooding taking place in england, it's been a nightmare. saturday night, we went out late to the artisan bar at the langham hotel and actually got charged for sitting there 7 bp each (?). i asked a group of distinguished gentleman to take our photo and we got to chatting with them. turns out they are in the band for barbra streisand who was in town that weekend. the one that we spoke with the most - neal - was very kind and said he'd get us tickets if he could. we left and went to meet up with some friends of mine in town at a club called the cuckoo nest. good lord we got cuckoo - dancing all night and met some characters. our favorite was jose who wore a t-shirt that said "i'd trade my girlfriend for a coke" with a blazer and wore a red headband. we ended up having a crazy bongo playing session in the wee hours of the morning. on sunday, we woke up and had a nice long leisurely lunch outside in marylebone and enjoyed the sunny day. we then walked through st. james park and over to big ben and westminster abbey. i will post those photos tomorrow as they turned out lovely. at 5 pm we got the call from our new friend that we had tickets for the concert!!!! so, a very expensive cab ride later, we arrived - i'd like to point out at this moment that gina made me wear my gold lame mini-dress in honor of babs and i wore my leopard coat, this will be a good visual for later - in any case, we had wonderful seats just off the stage. we sang, cried, danced and hooted...she was really wonderful and it was a very special moment. i couldn't help but think of my mom. ..and from time to time, different audience members would shout something out to her - our favorite was the woman with the thick scottish accent that said "sing it proud barbra" before she performed "papa can you hear me".... after the show, our musician friends (MF) had a hard time getting us backstage so we left as we were tired anyway. transport home was looking impossible - tubes lines were long as were cabs. we ended going back to the theatre as it's a huge venue with shops and restaurants and were told by MF that we should meet them at the after party. we returned and informed the security guards why we were there - they turned us away. so when our MF arrived with our badges - taken from other band members - the gig was up. they literally tore the badges from our heads - have you seen me and miss g? hardly intimidating, right? i yelled at the guard to watch the earrings, i was really irritated - i guess they don't get a lot of excitement in their jobs... it all got sorted out and we went it - it was just the crew and musicians, babs and her friends weren't there (um...pierce brosnan, donna karan, nic cage were in the audience) - so we didn't really understand why they were so lame at the door. one of our other MF came up to introduce us to the drummer who promptly asked how we all met. apparently, meeting in a hotel bar leads this idiot to joke that at least they didn' thave to call a 900 number to meet us. after miss g informed me of his crassness, we were horrified and escaped - ummm - ladies of the evening? is that what they thought? and that was when i pointed out to miss g what i was wearing...gold lame, in england? we missed the last tube, buses were done, taxi line still long...so the only way to get home is via the boat along the thames - which took a good 45 minutes....once we docked, we had to cross over the bridge to try and find a cab....and finally got home very late, the entire time laughing at what our weekend had turned into. this the the abbreviated version of our weekend but know it was a great time....we had fun on monday night too but i will post up those pictures tomorrow!

miss d leaves...miss g arrives July 19, 2007

sorry, no pics today...miss d left at 11 am and miss g arrived at 12 noon. upon arrival, we were consumed by a horrible rainstorm and couldn't leave the house for fear of being swept away by the monsoon. after it cleared, we hopped on the tube and went down to london bridge for the borough market and wandered around the thames and hand lunch at oxo tower. we then headed back for dinner at amaya with tiggy. we had an amazing meal and i have a new indian boyfriend. the dinner was perfect - the food, the company, it was really lovely and a great start for miss g's visit. and, by the way, the earlier pics of kate moss in the topshop window are real - that is not a wax figure.

V&A, Kew and Sketch aka Mork from Ork July 19, 2007

today and tomorrow, i am taking the day off. today, miss d and i found a dry cleaner, after vomiting over how expensive it is, we headed to the victoria and albert museum which blew our minds. they are having this amazing show on surrealism.... i cannot go into detail about the show as it would take a long time, but my initial thoughts on it are i didn't realize that dali and magritte did covers for vogue back in the 30s nor did i realize how much elsa shiaprelli was influenced by the surrealist, i fell utterly in love with these cabinets by leonora carrington and a tea set designed by dali for the royal crown derby, the medieval artifacts were astounding - there was an entire room not on display that we were able to sneak a glimpse at from the balcony. i will be heading back there again because we just didn't have enough time to really go through it. we then went to kew gardens and started with a light picnic and then explored nature - probably the closest i will ever get to hiking and camping. it was so pretty and one cannot cover the entire property in one day. my favorite was the lily garden as it is very close to my heart, and my tattoo - the lily pads were HUGE..we got to see a mama duck with her baby, i got a great photo without her hissing at me. the rose and lavender garden was lovely and the air was so fragrant with the trees, flowers...etc. for anyone visiting london, i strongly recommend a visit as it is such a short tube ride away. afterwards, we went to the original maids of honour for tea - allegedly, "the original maid of honour" is a pastry that henry VIII was a huge fan of at the time he was courting anne boylen, i helped a woman gather her packages at the restaurant and she blessed me so i think good kharma is coming our way. after we got home, we were very tired and wanted to cancel our dinner plans...until we realized that we would be charged for a no show. so we went to sketch and were so amazed with the restaurant and the food. please visit the website to learn more about it as i cannot eloquently describe it. ummm.... the bathroom is a combo if you took mork from ork, 2001 space and willy wonka and created a bathroom. each stall is an egg pod and in the background you can hear footage from a porn - like live action - and the mirror resembles a fun house mirror hence the picture. we are very happy that we went and i hope to go again before i leave. it was a very good day.