Night Of The Banana

Sonnet orders 13 lbs of bananas instead of 13 bananas in her weekly online shopping which means we have bananas everywhere. I've been giving them away by the dozens. Even Eitan, who is rarely seen outside of the refrigerator these days, balks. Sonnet plans to make a bunch of banana bread. I expect we will be serving it at Christmas.

Hiker

Moe in the '60s. My guess Yosemite or Tahoe.

Madeleine has the London Schools Athletic Championships coming up.
Madeleine: "Dad will you fill out and sign this form?"
Me: "You fill it out. I will do the signing."
Madeleine: "I can't! There is all this stuff on there that I don't know!" [Dad's note: I look at the form]
Me: "You can do it. You certainly know your address young lady."
Madeleine fills out the forms. Madeleine: "It says 'visual.' What does 'visual' mean?"
Me: "It's a check-box. You check it if you have visual problems."
Madeleine: "So do I check it?"
Me: "Is there a box for less-than-average intelligence."
Madeleine: "Ha ha ha very funny, Dad."
Me: "Where do you need me to sign it?"
Madeleine: "At the bottom."
Me: "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"
Madeleine: "For you, maybe."

Eagle

Lazy Sunday

Madeleine has Sunday rehearsal for the school play, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."  She is playing an eagle. Is it a big role? No, but she doesn't care: "I'm fine with it" she tells me now. She is disappointed, however, that the eagle does not get to enter a battle. Her line: "... and joining in the battle as well I hope, sir."  Apparently it is more of a physical character.

Madeleine huddles over her phone in the car passenger seat. Me: "Texting your peeps?"
Madeleine: "Never say that again."

Summer Sunday

Breathe

Another day flying solo. Madeleine and Eitan up at 10 and 11AM, respectively, about right for a Sunday.  We enjoy the summer sunshine.

Me: "Say something for my blog."
Eitan: "Ummm"
Me: "Have we had an interesting conversation about something lately?"
Eitan: "As you get older, you realise it's more important to turn up."
Me: "Nice one. Did you just make that up?"
Eitan: "No, you said that at the BBQ yesterday."
Me: "Glad it's sinking in."

Martin

Martin handles some tooling

Martin, our next door neighbour, helps me install a water butt which I could not have done without his help. We have a good time doing it, too. 

Martin knows a bit about everything on our block which makes sense as he grew up in the house is lives in today (Martin's mother, Kitty Godfrey, won Wimbledon a bunch of times in the 1920s).  I learn, for instance, that our property once owned by a bank manager.  And number 37 down the block owned by the industrialist owner of the stag brewery. 

Martin tells me about the local homes bombed during the Second World War. There were several direct hits (he was evacuated to Surrey). When Madeleine in Year 3 or 4, he told her about the experience for a class project.

Martin an electrical engineer who remains busy. He is currently installing the lighting system on London's Crossrail, a 73 mile railway line under construction for 2018 with a new east-west route across Greater London. His garage stuffed with every tool imaginable.

Talking Italian Glamour

Sonnet presents to the members of the Frist Museum, or about 400 people.  She is an old hand at these things now.  Photo from Adrianne.

Cheek

New Dad

Sonnet and Marcus at the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, on the grounds formerly occupied by Nashville's Cheek family, in their 30,000-square-foot Georgian-style mansion. The Cheek's founded a wholesale grocery store in the 1880s.

Madeleine and I have a Friday night sushi date (Eitan at a sleep-over). Our conversation covers sports, school and friends. She is a well adjusted kid who has managed to miss the nastiness that often occupies girls at this age. Madeleine made it simple: all her friends are boys. She may not be a Tom Boy any longer but some things don't change.

According to Rightmove.co.uk, terraced properties in London sell for an average price of £594,166, while semi-detached properties fetch £560,744.  London, with an overall average price of £533,018 was more expensive than nearby South East (£332,312), East of England (£268,083) and East Midlands (£175,726).

Nashville

Katie Glams

Sonnet in Nashville for the opening of Glamour at the Frist Museum. Stan and his lady friend Cate join Sonnet on Tuesday while my parents arrive on Wednesday. Katie yesterday along with Marcus and Adrianne and my niece Willa.

Adding to the fun, Tony and Susan are in town with some friends, just in time for the show (Tony sends me this photo).

Eitan finishes exam week and reports, 'all good'. He was prepared and relaxed, putting himself to bed at a reasonable hour, handing over his mobile phone over the weekend (which lasted less than a day). No drama.

Me: "So do you know what a mortgage is?"
Madeleine: "Yeah. It's when you can't afford a house so you borrow money from a bank. You pay it back a little at a time."
Me: "And how does a bank decide to give you the mortgage?"
Madeleine: "Um, they look at your job to see how much money you make. And where the house is located and how much it is worth."
Me: "And what do you do if you can't repay your mortgage?"
Madeleine: "Run?"

So Long, Oscar's

Est 1950

Oscar's burger and hot dog joint in Berkeley is closing after 65 years. A fixture from the ancient past, up there with Top Dog and Giant Burger, Oscar's took on Jack In The Box, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Burger King and won, all opening - and closing - at various times along Shattuck Avenue. Only McDonald's survived Berkeley's fast food wars of the 1980s.

Oscars served simple greasy food which could be eaten on site or take-away through a simple slide- window on the parking side wall. The burgers weren't particularly great nor the service ever good but it was comforting to see the retro logo in an area now populated by a micro brewery and a bunch of coffee shops. I went out of my way to drive by Hearst and Shattuck just to see it. Oscar's as real to Berkeley as People's Park. Or the original Pete's.

All good things must come to an end.

Good Bye Dear Aggie

For the love of bugs

Madeleine bangs out some homework. On Friday, following exam week, her bio teacher took the class onto the school fields to search for bugs for the microscope (she draws them now for her half-term break assignment). She notes, following those exams, the kids sank into the grass and sunshine, thoroughly spent, taking a moment for themselves. Fair enough.

Aggie returns to Poland after 13 years in London. When she arrived in the UK she knew a handful of people and her English limited to classwork assignments. She joined our family as a nanny. The last 4.5 years she has been a professional at Deloittes. She plans to start a business introducing Western businesses to Poland.

Aggie: "You must come to Poland and visit me in Krakauer." 
Me: "We would love to. What we need is a beach holiday."
Sonnet: "I'm afraid those days are over for me." [Dad's note: Sonnet has been advised not to spend time in the sun as a precaution against melanomas]
Me to Madeleine: "When your mother lived in San Francisco she sunbathed on her roof deck. Naked."
Madeleine: "Dad!"
Me: "Mother. Naked."
Madeleine flees the kitchen.
Sonnet: "We loved Tortoreto Lido."

On Questions

The Christ Church bells ring, something I appreciate, along with the BBC Sunday morning program and Sonnet's waffles.

Eitan going through another "curious" phase similar to when he was 4 or 5 and everything an open question. In a real way, he is navigating similar uncharted territories trying to make sense of the world us adults have created for him . What, for instance, does a job mean? What do Sonnet and I and everybody do during the day and where does one fit in ? How to figure out one's interest and why the fuss ? What the hell is it all about, really ?

I tell him our job is to help him find his path and navigate the uncertainty as best we can as a family. I also tell him, "being a kid is hard work." That never changes.

Dog's Life

Tongue

It's about time somebody did something about FIFA and it takes the Americans, as usual. It's not like there has been a lack of evidence to nail this crummy organisation and its bribe taking members. Qatar? Seriously. Finally something fun in the news. Only question is: will they get Sepp Blatter?

While on football, the FA Cup today: Arsenal and Aston Villa. England and millions around the world tuned in to watch the beautiful game. Regeneration.

Week End

Madeleine in the garbage pale

Just another Friday.

This week has zipped by from meeting to meeting to meeting. Sonnet engrossed in McQueen and preparations for Italian Fashion which opens in Nashville, TN, next week. By my last count, 35 friends and family will descend upon the Frist Center for her exhibition.

Madeleine: "Will I have earned your respect if I climb into the garbage pale?"
Me:
Madeleine: "Will I?"
Me: "Is this a trick question?"

Sonnet, observing Eitan: "He was so cute when he was little."
Me: "At least he doesn't smell bad."
Eitan: "What are you talking about?"
Sonnet: "We were talking about how cute you were when you were little."
Eitan: "I just don't want you to feel bad when I leave for college."
Me: "Are you kidding, it's going to be the best day of my life."
Sonnet: "I'm going to be really sad but I'm not going to show it."
Eitan, me:
Sonnet: "Didn't Grace break down in the airport when you went to Switzerland?"
Me, Eitan:
Sonnet: "Are you listening?"

Katy J

Katy, whom I have know since 1985, visits for the bank holiday weekend. Katy is at Oxford where she is a Senior Researcher in the Environmental Change Institute. She recently raised £500K to study energy strategies in the retail sector. In the UK, surprisingly, there is little information on energy use for commercial and public spaces. Katy is looking to better understand how these organisations can be run more efficiently.  When not on campus, she is happily hiking or biking in the English countryside.

Madeleine Runs

Proud mum

Madeleine competes the 800m at the Surrey County Championships, a UK regional race. Her time of 2:32 just off her standard and nets her fourth in her hear (top 2 advance). She runs a smart race, starting out slowly then picking off three girls on the final lap. 

Proving one can teach an old dog new trips, Rusty learns how to jump in to the car boot. Maybe it's that you can't teach a dumb dog new tricks. Anyway it makes our life easier not to have to chuck the dog in the back since he ways 30 lbs.

Sonnet: "I would love to see Fleetwood Mac."

Me: "We can. They're playing at the Isle of Wight Festival this summer."

Sonnet: "I'm not really a festival kind of girl."

Stuttgart

Terminal 5

Eitan leaves Saturday morning bright and early for an American football camp in Stuttgart, Germany. At play: an invitation to the Olympic Development Program (ODP) Region 1 in Pennsylvania, July 2015. US coaches are scouting for players to attend.

Eitan, who has not travelled solo outside of school excursions or, on occasion, with Madeleine (swimming camp, Grandparents) connects with Rocco at the airport and all is good (Rocco's dad, Peter, is from Holland and so utterly dependable). I give him an awkward hug and off the boy goes.

We have Madeleine to ourselves and Katy joins us from Oxford (Madeleine ditches for Richmond to hang out with a friend, returning 9PM. Connected by mobile of course)

Sonnet walks into Madeleine's room, 11AM. Madeleine: "Mom I'm still in my pajamas"

Best Coast

Electric Ballroom, Camden

Friday again. Three day bank holiday weekend. The London mood: giddy.

Madeleine's exams come back and she pulls the 3rd top score on her history exam, 4th in drama and well above average on RS. The history prof notes before handing out the exams that today's result but a grain of sand on the beach of life. Madeleine: "we were kind of worried."

Happy 47

Love of my life

Sonnet the Birthday Girl wakes 6:05AM and out the door to yoga (I roll over, long day ahead). She pampers herself, taking a day off to do her nails, bake a maple cake, bake pulled porc and BBQ sauce which is FABULOUS. We sing our gal happy birthday and so very grateful to have her in our lives.

Last night Sonnet and I go to Camden's Electric Cafe to see LA band Best Coast, which Christian and I caught five years ago at a small venue in San Francisco's Tenderloin district. They were excellent then, excellent now. Since the lead singer Bethany Cosentino (think shampoo. Think hair) there is a large supportive female audience and lots of happy couples on dates (I imagine) or between shagging sessions. This is London afterall and it is springtime.

Madeleine completes her final year-end exam - physics, 26 pages, our gal reports. She is home free. Eitan's exams after next week's half-term break, poor kid. 

V&A Develoment

Self Portrait XXXXIV

In January 2014, the V&A broke ground on a new entrance, courtyard and purpose-built subterranean gallery for temporary exhibitions facing the Exhibition Road across from the Sciences Museum. The budget for the project is £49 million with 80% raised by private donations so far. The naming of the entrance goes for a cool £5 million.

Recently I have joined the museum's Corporate Development Board, invited by Standing Chair of the Trustees, Nicholas Coleridge, who is also the President of Condé Nast. Our aim is to raise support for projects and exhibitions with a particular focus on the 30 and 40 year old jet set who may comprise the museum's future funding base, taking over from an older generation of donors.

We have a tour of the work site led by the project engineer who informs me the courtyard will slope slightly downward allowing for a grande entrance stairway; underneath two galleries and a coffee bar offering 1000s of feet of modern use space. Several massive beams 5 ft in diameter hold the ancient building up as the digging goes down. We learn that the "services" (electrics, piping and cables) took nine months to be removed and, as the original building dates to the 1840s, there was no master plan ("a bit of a mess" our guy tells us). 

The expected opening is for late 2016.

rue d'Italie

A golden year

I spent my 16th year being educated at College de Candolle in Geneva (where I am today for a meeting). CdC a private school whose structure and curriculum similar to my first year of college (maybe better, in fact) : physics, calculus, chemistry, biology, geography . .. French literature, history and art on Saturday. I opted out of PE and the languages: Italian, German and Swiss Romanche. French was enough for me.

Yes, it was an exceptional experience. There were three other American exchange students and I remain in contact with two: Pam (who lives in Berkeley and a documentary film maker) and Kurt (Director of Global Engagement at Southern Utah University). My Swiss friends sadly did not stick.

During that year I had my first girlfriend (kissing, non sexual; can't remember her name), swam with the Swiss Olympics team (Eitenne Dagon won the first swimming medal for Switzerland, a bronze, in the 200m breast stroke) and lived with a local family who I recall fondly. I also set myself up to live in Europe forever.

Me: "If we were in California we would be surfing every day." (Madeliene and I do the secret handshake)
Madeleine: "I would get a long board."
Me: "And hiking in the Sierras."
Madeleine: "Yeah."
Me: "Or wine tasting in Sonoma."
Madeleine: "Why can't we move there?"
Me: "Maybe you will one day.  And I will come visit."