Richmond Sunset

And Friday again. Another week under the bridge. And why? Maybe as simple as the pooch - a scratch behind Rusty's ears and it all kinda makes sense.

Me: "What are your goals any way?"

Madeleine: "I don't know."

Me: "Well, what do you enjoy doing?"

Madeleine: "I like looking at bugs."

Me: "I get that, but what excites you? What gets you out of bed in the morning?"

Madeleine: "Well, first I get bored. Then I am hungry."

Me: "We don have to have goals but it sure makes life more interesting. Let's have a think about this for a while and come up with some ideas."

Madeleine: "Ok."

Skeptical

I pick up Madeleine from school.

Me: "How was your day?"

Madeleine: "Fine."

Me: "More than one word please."

Madeleine: "Very fine."

Me: "What did you do?"

Madeleine: "We had our first day of school council."

Me: "That's cool."

Madeleine: "I proposed to change the school song, which is really boring, to something new."

Me: "Neat. Like what?"

Madeleine: "I don't know. Just something that is not rock and roll because adults don't like it."

Me: "Good idea."

Madeleine: "So I said Elvis Presley"

Me: "Do you think they are going to go for it?"

Madeleine: "Well, Mrs. X looked at me kind of funny. So probably not."

Me: "Do you know what 'sceptical' means?"

Madeleine: "Dad, I am trying to read. Just leave me alone."

Me: "Fine. Just tell me what it means."

Madeleine: "Dad . ."

Me: "It means 'having doubt.'"

Madeleine: "Ok, Dad, now leave me alone."

Me: "Use it in a sentence."

Madeleine: "I am skeptical that you will ever leave me alone."

Me: "Works."

Life Repeats

1976 - I think. Please note the plaid pants. This puts me about Madeleine's age.

How did that happen ?

Samuel Wanjiru RIP

The world may have lost its greatest marathoner, who you have probably never heard of. Samuel Wanjiru died after a fall from the balcony of his home in Nyahururu, Kenya at 24. Wanjiru the first Kenyan to win a gold in the marathon, which he did in Beijing, in 2:06:32 despite 29C temperatures. Wanjiru also won London (2009, pictured), Chicago (twice) and Fukuoka, Japan. He was the youngest man, at 23, to win four of the world's major marathons and he did it in style : Wanjiru's London time of 2:05:10 suggested that he would one day own the great Haile Gebrselassie's World Record of 2:03:59. Haile 35 when he lined up in Berlin to set the standard, an age, Dear Reader, generally thought to be the peak for long-distance running. In the athletic community, the whisper that Wanjiru might have a legitimate shot at The Holy Grail : sub-2-hours. We shall miss him in London next summer.

IMF WTF

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, until yesterday the head of the IMF which, you know, is bailing out Greece as I write this, charged with sexual assault, forcible confinement, and attempted rape of a hotel maid.

Hair Job

Sonnet's morning routine fascinates me - indeed, I live with a woman. She allows me to post this photo btw.

Word on the playground that my vampire a success : "spooky," and "scary" and even "creepy" are the words that get back to me. Sonnet worries that I may have given the children nightmares. Hope so. Eitan informs me that he was embarrassed but then I overhear him tell Auntie Katie that he "was proud" of my story-telling. A high complement. Eitan's teacher asks me to return for an encore.

Le Count

So today, a vampire. The kids' school doing "story week" so Eitan's teacher has me in the classroom, little does he know. I'm stumped for an idea until last night then,voila, it strikes me : "Twilight" (even if the little monsters not supposed to see the movie since rated 18 - they have, and Madeleine gives me a "thumbs up"). So I open Party Palace costume store to buy a cape and faux fangs (chewing gum holds them in place) and loosely retell Bram Stoker's tale relocating the plot to the bayou. I use the first-person to suggest that I recount a true thing - kidnapping, bloodletting and etc, all on a business trip to Monsieur de la Bloodfern's Louisiana estate. Half way into the story I pull down the drapes, light a candle, pour red-dyed water into a glass (blood), put on a cape and switch to .. Count Dracula , complete with snarling and hissing. Kids enthralled. Eitan mortified. Eitan's teacher on the edge of his seat. It all works and, once again I think, "I am in the wrong profession."

As an encore, I bring back "Kit Kat Cowboy" who checks in on his cow gals and cow pokes to make sure everybody happy and working hard.

Dear Grace : you would be proud.

The Many Faces Of Dad

Me: "Walk the dog."

Madeleine: "My plan is doing some reading."

Me: "I've walked Rusty twice today. Your turn, kiddo."

Madeleine: "I am supposed to do reading for my school homework. If you give me a lolly I will walk Rusty. And no reading."

Me: "Nicely negotiated. How's this: Walk the dog. Then reading. No lolly, followed by bed."

Madeleine: "That's not a deal, Dad!"

Me: "That is the only deal. Now get going."

Madeleine: "And you say negotiating is supposed to be fair."

M & S

Indeed.

The venerable Marks & Spencer draws complaints for its national campaign, pictured. This one of 8,000 ads over the past three years which have prompted complaints because of their effect on children, says the Advertising Standards Authority.

Self Portrait XVII

While on red . . . .

Madeleine has a hard time with the 7AM Sunday swim-practice. Madeleine likes swimming but is not a morning person which makes me think of our other night owl Katie who somehow endured all those early AM workouts at King pool. Poor kid. Anyways, Sonnet notes age-9 a difficult moment for many future Olympians - the sport's demands increase yet the competitions not for another year or so. Many kids drop out at now - all this work and for what?

Me, I love that Madeleine swims and I know her big, powerful, body will make her competitive. Swimming also one of the few sports in the UK that women may pursue without a ceiling. Exhibit A: football. Our gal has been in the pool since age-3 and the structure has snuck up on her. She has never really decided about it and so she must. But it will not be over Sunday practices. This, Dear Reader, part of the package: swimming and morning workouts like bread and jam.

Red Shirts

Madeleine and I share a goof before going to Stephen and Jennifer's party. Today is Jenn's 40th and their newborn, Sabrina, christianed.

Eitan and I run the Richmond Park 5K. One fella gets a tee-shirt for having completed the race 100 times. Eitan tells me confidently: "I want to be in the top-third" and so we give it a go. Unfortunately my body arthritic from the two marathons in '09 so racing no longer a joy - my Achilles let me know who is boss. I'm still able to keep a step or two ahead of the boy until the final end, when he throws in a gear and races another kid who nips him at the gate. Good lesson. Eitan's time: 21 minutes or 6:45 per mile.

aneta

Eitan shows off our tomatoes which seem to be doing OK.

Madeleine and I walk the dog in Richmond Park.

Madeleine: "Can I watch a movie that's an 18?"

Me: "You mean rated 18 for 18 year-olds? No."

Madeleine: "That is so unfair. How about 15?"

Me: "No. It's not meant for you."

Madeleine: "Well, I saw Twilight and that was 15."

Me: "Oh, yeah - where?"

Madeleine: "Alex's. Besides, it wasn't even scary. And there was hardly any blood."

Me: "Great."

Madeleine: "I love horror anyways. Can't I watch an 18?"

Me: "No. Besides it's not me, it's the rule."

Madeleine: "Rules are meant to be broken."

Me:

Madeleine: "11-year olds can watch the 15s and 15-year olds the 18s."

Me: "So?"

Madeleine. "So I can watch them."

Me: "You are going to be an entrepreneur. A great one - you won't accept 'no' for an answer."

Life's A Ball

Sonnet and Oriel at Blythe house, where the gals have been all week photographing ball gowns.

Last night we dine at St John's with Beth, Sonnet's former colleague at William-Sonoma, and her friend Laurie. They are checking out a few retail businesses while having some fun. I went to college with Beth's brother Doug and, on the lip of the Ngora Ngora crater, in an ancient English bar, there he was. Years later Beth and I re-united on Russian Hill, San Francisco, when I first was dating Sonnet. Since then, Beth has moved up the executive ranks of W-S while Doug to Stanford Business School then bought a company.

At St John's I enjoy a pig's spinal chord on toast with gherkin and red onion for an appetizer and Chitterlings and fava beans for my mains, washed down with a '07 Chianti. Of course. Chitterlings are the intestines of a pig that have been prepared as food.

Bonded

Nobody loves Rusty like Madeleine loves Rusty. She made the pooch happen.

Tony and I have lunch - Tony returns this evening to Boston's back-bay where he recently returned following ten years in London. Tony buzzy about software company Datanomic which was sold to Oracle realising a serious return for the company's VCs and Tony, who was on the Board and helped turn the business around when they got into trouble two or three years ago. Bravo!

Purple

This lovely iris from our backyard having survived Rusty.

Juniper Hall

Madeleine returns from Juniper Hall, which reminds me of Chantilly (or maybe The Shining), and jumps into my arms - so much to tell me ! She shares a room with four girls who keep her up all night "crying and stuff" - our Tom Boy has no problems missing home. The children explore their natural surroundings on guided tours, set worbel traps and examine plants. Madeleine tells me : Photo from a scanned post card.

"In a quiet wooded valley in an unspoilt area of the chal North Downs, Juniper Hall, leased from the National Trust, is a superbe country house dating from the 17th century. It is about 1km from Box Hill and 40km from central London."

Soul Sister

Katie and Cornel @ Princeteon -->

Katie at Princeton for the Op-Ed Project - she recently signed Yale along with Stanford - and re-unites with former think-tank colleague Cornel West. Katie first introduced me to Cornel at the Houses of Parliament when Cornel and she presenting their findings on the labour pool's loss of women and minority talent : "The Hidden Brain Drain." Cornel, who I had not met before, called me his "Berkeley Brother" and Sonnet "my Soul Sister."

Madeleine Rocks It

Working Hard

Eitan tired and who can blame him : Friday slumber party (four hours sleep), the five-mile "fun" run, homework, chores and, finally, a morning at .. Ham House. Poor kid. We give him an opt-out for Sunday 7AM swim-practice. He takes it.

Glasvegas

Morgan and I check out Glasvegas at the Forum in Kentish Town. Awesome photograph of Caroline McKay by Jon Behm. Glasvegas does Indie rock and has a weird, intense and violent energy - perhaps because they are from the East End of Glasgow? Or maybe guitarist Rab Allen enormous and dwarfs his instrument. His brother and lead-singer, James, wears a white sleeveless sequined outfit - and jams. Behind them, "GLASVEGAS" , spelled in large bulbs, flashes. Glasvegas got critical acclaim for their debut album Glasvegas , released in 2008, reaching No. 2 in the UK Album Charts. Their debut album also nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2009. The NME declared, "If The Libertines defined the start of the decade and Arctic Monkeys its middle, then Glasvegas are almost certainly going to define its end and beyond."

After the concert I get a Gyro at Clapham Junction, taxi ride home and a bowl of strawberry ice cream, Rusty on my lap and television until 3AM (the ends of "Aliens" and "The Matrix"). Pretty much perfect.