John Boehner, Republican, 8th District of Ohio. Minority Leader of the House of Reps (photo NYT)
From Larry and Marcia's house, pictured. Their property dates to the 19th century when it was a sawmill cutting marble; the water powered a turbine that cut the stone which was drawn from the nearby quarry. Now it is an evironmentally protected area.
I have not considered London nor work since leaving, well, London and work. Sure I have a few telephone calls to make and some emails to answer but it is mostly hard to be overly concerned. Europe, we know, shuts down for summer from about now: for the Nordics , it is July while everyone else, August. Not a bad life for them and us , for sure, but we are falling behind in the global league tables : difficult to compete with China given a 1% eurozone GDP growth and Greece. Still, Germany tries. And Britain pulls her weight. Italy has lovely pizza and Ireland - well, she pays us with Guinness.
Richie shreds it up, pictured. We were the two Californian odd balls at Brown - I was a swimmer and he played water polo. Why on earth we went to the East Coast for college who knows ? Richie, at least, returned to his heritage and now, when not making films, finds himself inside the bowl or on the big wave.
I first met Kristy McNichol in "Little Darlings" where she and Tatum O'Neal, both 15 but from different sides of the tracks, compete to lose their virginity. While at summer camp, of course. This 1980 so I am about 12 and duly impressionable. The film undoubtedly rated "PG" since I cannot imagine watching it with my mother. McNichol (who wins the bet BTW) a teen sensation, winning two Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in TV weekly "Family," which aired from '76 to '80; she also appeared in Starsky & Hutch, Bionic Women and Love Boat and recorded Christmas specials with The Carpenters. Her re-doing of The Chiffons' "He's So Fine" hit #70 on the billboards. She had Sean Cassidy hair. Do not doubt, Dear Reader, that Kristy McNichol had my attention.
Madeleine requests a few photos for her "summer journal", as required for school. This replaces the usual cajoling or bribing now the norm when my camera trained on the Shakespeares.
We say "Farewell, Aneta!" who returns to Czech then Europe and eventually University. She contemplates a summer job and what the future may hold but who knows? The joy of 21. Her childhood friend, Camilla, will join us in August. Aneta and Madeleine have a last go at Ludo, a board-game that has occupied them at the kitchen table. Eitan refuses a hug but he will miss her, too.
Eric : from Chicago : college friend : recognised interior designer : working on 1 Hyde Park : lives in Milano : Italian citizenship soon : following ambitions : a brave heart
Sonnet writes a chapter for a book on ball gowns which will also be a major exposition at the V&A. Her deadline is, well, now since we leave tomorrow for America. Just like freshman year, I tease her. Note the bare walls in our dining room which will, inshallah, be a library upon our return. The builders, electricians, painters, carpenters and workers descend upon our house as we leave. We take advantage of the away.
Kojo, a friend from graduate school, founded Ghana's largest home mortgage services company accounting for >60% of all new mortgage applications in his country. Kojo tells me that Ghana needs 1 M houses for the growing middle class - the population there 24 M and GDP, in PPP, is about $72 B. There is some considerable opportunity; Arnaud , who we are with this morning, investigates.
I am at the RIBA which btw introduced to me years ago by stylish and gentlemanly friend Maurizio. The cafe restaurant best enjoyed in summer when an outdoor sculpture garden available to Kensington's ladies that lunch and museum types (you choose my slot). A news team films "hidden green spaces" in central London, pictured.
Britain has a drink problem and ads like the above do not help. I find this one disturbing - do we really need to see a bulging sweaty veined arm gripping the upward pointing bottles? On the underground , where I take this photo?
The blue blazer cocktail created by Jerry Thomas, a bartender and author, while he was working at at the El Dorado in San Francisco. As legend has it, President Ulysses S. Grant so impressed by the drink that he gave Thomas a cigar. Thomas would only make the drink if the outside temperature below 50 F or if the person had a cold or the flu, whose symptoms the drink was to alleviate. It is not so much the drink (which is just a simple whisky punch) but the mixing that is unique.
This handsome dude Madeleine's dance teacher at her weekly performance class. We chat for a bit about Madeleine and hair gel.
Eitan and Joe invited to practice at the Chelsea Training Ground in Surrey (photo from my mobile). The center built by Roman Abramovich for his Blues. Abromavich has already invested >£800 M on the club, so what's another 32 pitches ? It is similar to a five-star hotel only for football. There is the clubhouse and greeting area, spectator stands and towers so Coach can observe or film from above. Timing systems analyse ball speed and sensors pinpoint strikes. The grass like butter. The professional squad has a designated area with own security &c. Eitan contemplates the Great Ones presence nearby.
Madeleine performs at the Friday assembly : "When The Saints Come Marching In" and "Curtain Up." Since all trumpateers get their moment we hear the same over and over and .. Our little dear takes control of her instrument and does an admirable job of conveying emotion or, at the least, an explosive sound. She sits next to Albin and Alex and they seem to have a good time.
Rupert Murdoch during his News of the World takeover bid in the 1960s (Photo by Ted Blackbrow/Daily Mail)
Chic's '78 single, "Le Freak," marked many's entré into adolescent awkwardness. Mine, anyway. My first glimpse of the album, pictured, was at Longs Pharmacy on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, sometime around 6th grade and before Super Tramp's "Breakfast In America" and Diana Ross's "Hot Stuff." Also that year BTW : Pamela Sue Martin's Playboy exposé "Nancy Drew Grows Up" (Martin, recall, played "Nancy Drew" on the "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" Sunday evenings). I, Dear Reader, overcame all fears and hustled a copy between the greeting cards to flick the pages. Afterwards, it was a Marathon Bar or Dorito's and swim practice. Or maybe Lawrence Hall of Science to play the earliest computer games. These thoughts flash threw my mind whenever I see restaurant T.G.I. Friday's.
Since Natalie looks, like, 30 I think it Ok to mention her age. In the title. Hope so.
Friday Eitan and Madeleine exit school early and we head to Verbier for Natalie's birthday celebration. The kids occupy themselves at the airport accordingly, pictured. Once simply being at the airport enough : the Shakespearse awed by the 747s or anything landing or taking off. And Then there were the conveyor belts. Those were the years when time began to age me.
