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.

Fixing A Head Piece

Sonnet at the V&A's costume storage facility at Blythe House in Olympia, London. Today and this week she is with fashion photographer David Hughes where they set up a make-shift studio to photograph ball gowns for Sonnet's upcoming book and exhibition, both out next year.

Golden Iris

From the gardens at Ham House.

Ham House

My photo facing Ham House northward with the Thames on the opposite side.

From the National Trust brochure :

"A 400-year-old treasure trove waiting to be discovered and one of a series of grand houses and palaces alongside the River Thames. Ham House and Garden is an unusually complete survival of the 17th century that impressed in its day and continues to do so today. Rich in history and atmosphere, Ham is largely the vision of Elizabeth Murray, Countess of Dysart, who was deeply embroiled in the politics of the English Civil War and subsequent restoration of the monarchy. Discover the fine interiors and historic gardens that make Ham an unusual and fascinating place to visit.

The house is said to be haunted by the Duchess of Lauderdale [the Lauderdales owned Ham House and bankrupted themselves with parties and entertaining; the house became dilapidated until revived by the National Trust from 1965] . The house was subject to a year long investigation by the Ghost Club which recorded a number of phenomena that remain 'unexplained'.

Sunday Joy

Since Sunday, the weather fine and Katy here, we motivate to Ham House on the Thames. The Shakespeares mood only worsened when they realise we will have a guided tour of the grounds , 1230PM, sharp. I tell each they must know one thing, and one thing good, which they will tell me afterwards (Madeleine: "Aw, Dad, this is torture.") while Eitan sulks. The old-age pensioner takes it in stride and gives us a lovely overview of the property from gardens to gates, kitchen to ice which, we learn, Queen Victoria had shipped from Norway until she decided America had better ice, then it came from there ("beggars belief" our guide says). Once concluded, Eitan and Madeleine snap-to with Best Behavior, under Sonnet's watchful eye, and all ends up fine.

This morning I look up Ham House's opening times.

Madeleine: "What's that?"

Me: "Ham House."

Madeleine: "What?! We're going there?!"

Me: "Yep."

Madeleine: "Aw, Dad, it's just an old house."

James Will Finish The Iron Man

James awakes 5AM to bike five hours. Here he restocks with a beef burger before running two hours.

Fun Run 2011

The school Fun Run yesterday and Sonnet organises the event - field marshals, aid stations, St John's ambulance and 200 or so runners. Me, I do the BBQ - picture coming. The five-mile course, which may be 5.5 miles as the crow flies, starts at Sheen Gate then through the park and concluding on the school grounds, pictured.

Eitan tells me he aims to win and comes pretty close, taking second behind a 14-year old school alum. He holds back until the final mile then puts in another gear to finish in 38.09.

Madeleine equally fantastic, finishing the race in 54.12 for a two minute improvement on last year.