The Gipper

US Embassy, Grosvenor Square

Ronald Reagan gets respect and why not, given the special relationship with Margaret T, RIP, which defined the 1980s and the backbone of the Western World. Remarkable that two democratically elected leaders could have such an influence on us all.  And how rapidly the world's focus has moved from cold war Chess to fast moving revolution across the Middle East. A slow train coming.

Egypt's President Morsi taken into military custody.

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Monday Madeleine plays trumpet in her school's Junior Brass Ensemble and the Sumner Concert. We recognise the theme song from the Titanic. She also sings in the Junior Choir.

Before, Sonnet and I arrive on Emanuel's campus, and observe her playing kickball with a group of Hill formers. She is happy as only a kid can be happy in the summertime with vacation right around the corner.

The Mall

Horse brigade

The Mall connects Buckingham Palace to the Admiralty Arch and on to Trafalgar Square. Notably, the London Marathon ends here and I found myself in a First Aid booth about where the horses are now, 2009. I was in bad shape, man.

I first became aware of The Mall via David, a Euro fag in my college dorm; David had a lion's main of hair, a trust fund and a cocaine habit.  He breathlessly informed me of "shagging" a girl he had met on the day off The Mall, in St James's Park, after dusk.  I thought, back then, wow! now that shit would never happen in Berkeley. But I was probably wrong.

Ouch

It is a concrete jungle out there.  Fortunately no stitches though I am informed: "blood everywhere."  Sonnet and Aneta rush to the scene and our gal makes the trip to the A&E.

Me: "Nice to have so much sun in the morning."
Madeleine: "Yeah, I like it too."
Me: "Do you prefer summer or winter?"
Madeleine: "Summer, definitely."
Me: "Spring or autumn?"
Madeleine: "Sometimes, late at night and I am reading in bed, and it is raining really hard, that is cool."
Me: "Yep."

East Bay

We all have a restful place somewhere in the mind's eye and mine is the Nimitz Way off Wildcat Canyon Road in Tilden Regional Park.  I have been coming here since age four, made out with girls in high school in the dry grass, trained up for several marathons on the ancient cracked blacktop, and Sonnet and I visited inside one week of knowing each other.  I can rely on it.

Madeleine sets new school records in the 100 and 200 m dash for Hill Form (under 11s) during Emmanuel's sports day.  We are thrilled for our gal.

The Forecast Is Sunshine

Moe this morning

Moe is all about the routine, which is up at 4AM to hit the Berkeley Y by 5AM where he is part of a crew of the fit and the young at heart. This morning I meet Willis, a former Navy SEAL, who tells me his 200 missions in the '70s left his knees shot and we joke about push ups : his qualification was 1000, which he did in increments of 100 straight, with 15 minutes in between.  The next day, 1000 pull ups.

From there I go to Peet's coffee and observe three guys playing Frisbee in the intersection. Why not? A suburban pulls up with a dog in the front seat, the wife and kid in back. Another wears a Chinese hat I've seen only on the rice paddies and always there is talk talk talk.  These hippies don't go away though now their homes make them millionaires.

Industry Ventures

Justin works a deal

I arrive in California on a beautiful day, blue skies and 80 degree temperatures. It even smells good, like home. On the way to 1530 I pick up flowers for my parents and think how it might feel to be them, waiting for their kid to arrive. It is a nice feeling.

In London : At a Hampton School competition Eitan runs the 1500m in 4:59 setting a new course record for the Under-12s (Sonnet says he is not impressed though we are). Otherwise Eitan off to Kew Gardens on a biology field trip and Madeleine practicing with the Brass Band for Monday's summer concert.  It rains.

"The State Capital"

 I write from Tallahasee, Florida, where Thierry and I stay at Hotel Duval, one of three four-star hotels and billed as the city's best.  It was formerly a Howard Johnson's.  Before our meeting with the Florida State Administration, a potential LP in Astorg's next fund, I bone up on my local knowledge : The Seminoles won the Orange Bowl last season. Disclosing this as important as anything else we discuss. And so it goes.

The friendly young women at the hotel front desk looks at me like I have grown horns when she hears me talk in French.  Every now and then the dog has his day.

Southernmost Tip

A jogger in Battery Park.

I am still not used to being downtown without the WTC towers; it is a strange feeling not to have them. 

One WTC is nearly complete yet its 105 stories hardly leave an impression, so like any Midtown or modern skyscraper anywhere. Sure, the WTC website tells us, it is America's tallest building - and an indelible New York landmark. But it also lacks any kind of magnificence.

"We remember, we rebuild, we come back stronger."

--Barack Obama, on a steel beem hoisted to the top of the tower.

Cafe Flesh

Sheep Meadow

Along with the usual sunbathers, some gay dudes strike yoga poses, a couple practise martial arts, the entrepreneur makes the rounds ("Ice cold water! Mohitos!") with his ten year old son carrying the load.

We watch a comedy troupe including some of NY's best who have a hard time keeping it PG for the Sunday afternoon. On another patch, we see a sword fight with maybe 12 participants dressed in medieval costume.  It lasts maybe three minutes.  Bikers, joggers, power walkers and roller bladers whizz by navigating the pedestrians. A skinny black dude with over-sized headphones stands in the middle tarmac singing full volume.  Nobody cares.

Upper West Side

Cafe Con Leche @ 81st and Amsterdam

I arrive Manhattan Saturday afternoon and it is a proper summer's day: hot. I drop my bags at Katie's flat and, since she returns from South Africa Sunday morning, head to 22nd St and 7th Ave to drink champagne cocktails and a 2009 cru with Kelly and Christine, who recently had twins, and I am impressed by the peace & quiet.

Katie arrives around 8AM and we go for a morning run in Central Park and coffee at neighbourhood bakery Silver Moon, which has created a special corner on B'way and 106th. From there it is a walk southward via Riverside Park and the Riverside Walk then across midtown to Central Park.

Red House

The Red House, on the corner of York Ave, designed by architect Arthur Young and built in 1904 when there was surely nothing else around.  Since we are on a hilltop, the views of the river (now not visible) would have been superb. It remains a convenient several hundred yards into Richmond Park. Yours for £7M.

Tomato Stalks

The tomatoes about half mast or behind pace for this time of year since there has been little sun this summer so far.  I still have hope that this will be a vintage year.  For all of us.

I am off to America in an hour.

Toothy Grin

Eitan will have braces

The kids and I to The Plough - burgers and chips for them, salad for me as I (barely hang on) to Sonnet's low carb diet.

The kids have swim practise, 5:30AM, so up at 5 to ensure a 5:20 pick up.  Then a 45 minute nap and to the pool to facilitate the transfer to their respective school buses (Sonnet's egg-bacon sandwiches devoured).  Sonnet and I stumble through the rest of the day. TGIF.

London On My Birthday

Justin and I have lunch at Sotheby's then walk about Mayfair taking a few photos. He wonders if one has permission to post pictures of strangers on the Internet (blog). A bit of research and I am home free : In the UK it is perfectly legal to take and also to post pictures of members of the public if they are taken in a public place.

Dog Days

Rusty gets in on the summer

People talk about the weather all the time in Britain, I observe, sitting in a cafe eavesdropping. It is like Seinfeld in the 90s or baseball maybe. If sunny, nod knowingly : "Let's hope summer lasts longer than today." If rain, nod knowingly: "Well, summer has finally arrived." And so on and so be it.

The protests in Brazil remind me of Brad Pitt's movie "World War Z" where zombies climb over each other to mount a wall. I would be pissed, too, knowing that the Brazilian government has spent billions in preparation of the 2014 World Cup and little or nothing on education or the banlieues. Won't be going there any time soon.

Any Given Monday

At Madeleine's school

Our week begins with the usual news about Syria (US to arm the rebels, the Russians support Assad); the NSA (who wire tapped world leaders at the G20 Summit in 2009 ); a week end massacre in Omaha, Nebraska. And so on and so forth.

What to tell one's kids these days ? The cost of education soaring, jobless ness in the Eurozone is 24% for the U25s (20% in the UK), cities and living un affordable and then there is the debt for the their generation . Global warming, too. Me, I say : go to work.

Teen Boy

Chillax

At a cocktail party I meet fair skinned Rose, who sings at St Martin's On The Field.  In confidence, she informs me, she and her choir have recorded the gospel for Nelson Mandela's passing. They did this four years ago so it is 'off the shelf.'

Madeleine: "Who's been searching for 'making out' and 'how to kiss better' on the computer?"
Me: "Huh?"
Madeleine: "Right here, see in the search history, 'making out.'"
Me: "When was it?"
Madeleine: "Um, last Sunday. At 8 o'clock."
Me: "It could have been me, so I know how to kiss your mother" (I kiss Sonnet)
Sonnet: "Mmm"
Me: "How do we know it wasn't you?"
Madeleine: "Yeah, right Dad. It must have been Eitan."
Me: "Well you are the problem child."
Madeleine: "Whatever."

Post Play

Madeleine at school

An example of a morning discussion, on the walk to the train , which Madeleine now takes to school.
Madeleine: "What would Rusty do if he caught a cat?"
Me: "Grab it by the neck and shake it to death, probably."
Madeleine: "Yeah, probably so."
Me: "All creatures great and small. How about that snail there, would you kill it?"
Madeleine: "No. It is still a creature."
Me: "What about a swarm of veg destroying locusts? "
Madeleine: "So?"
Me: "Without crops, people will die."
Madeleine:
Me: "Death is never an easy subject."
Madeleine: "Of course I wouldn't want people to die. So I guess I would kill the locusts."
Me: "A wise decision."

A Play

Madeleine is Dandini

Madeleine in play "Cinders," a spin on Cinderella, which the drama class has been working since winter.  I rush to join from ..  Amsterdam and meet Sonnet and the other parents who mingle over luke warm white wine and nibbles.  Madeleine is Dandini (male character), the confident to the princw (played by the dreamy Jack) who is looking for a bride at the ball and the glass slipper and all that. It goes down well and afterwards the three of us have sushi. Nice way to end the week.