Immeasurably More

If you die, I will stand on Eton Bridge and remember you. If you get typhoid fever, I will send you soap fragrant from English roses. If you perform or play or preach, I will download the mp3 and email you my compliments. If you need last minute baby-sitting or have any other form of personal crisis, I will drink a calming cup of tea and pray for you.       I can not be there. The UK Border Agency has my passport.

El's bought me a color!! http://www.ownacolour.com/#fd6d19

The TV went out and came back on with a click.  The laptop screen didn't even flicker. I sat on the couch contemplating these events.  Knowing that the laptop battery no longer held a charge, I concluded that if there had been a power cut, the laptop would have shutdown with the TV.  Therefore there must have been a power surge, and the surge protector had dutifully saved the attached electronics, which, alas, did not include the laptop. While the laptop did not show any signs of immediate damage, a few days later, I attempted to open the DVD drive only to discover that the drive would not open, nor did Windows recognize it.  A 7 year old laptop is not worth fixing, so I decided I would do the "normal" thing and buy a DVD player, and a multi-region one at that. I picked up a catalog from a local electronics store on my way to work and was still flipping through it when I walked into the office.  "Shopping?" inquired a co-worker.  I explained the situa...

Last night, El and I took our second trip to London to see a London Prepares Series event.  This time it was diving - men's 10m platform synchronized.  The event was held in the new Aquatics Center , whose design is difficult to appreciate from close up.  It may be because the wings are "removable" that portions of the building (e.g. the bathrooms) feel very "Ikea" - precut and quick to assemble. One of the diving pairs we saw was Tom Daley and Peter Waterfield.  I remembered my camera this time and managed to get this shot before the battery died.  Obviously I have my own Olympic preparations to make.

Dear Reader, The quantity, cost and availability (or non-availability) of tickets to the 2012 London Olympics has been much discussed in the UK for months now.  Elle and I both applied for tickets in the initial lottery; I received tickets to four events (of 16 requested), and she to none. One of the events I didn't  receive tickets for was Men's Artistic Gymnastics, so presented with the opportunity to see gymnastics as part of the London Prepares Series, Elle and I decided to go.  Elle handled the ticket purchasing on the first day that tickets were for sale.  This turned out to be fairly straight-forward, as the only available tickets were for unreserved seating at the first session on the first day.  There was no indication of which athletes or what events we'd be watching (men's or women's, artistic, rhythmic or trampoline).  But for £10 and a train ticket, we figured we couldn't go far wrong. So, this past Tuesday, Elle and I...

I love January 1; the symbolism of "starting over" and "trying again" makes me hopeful about my prospects for actually improving my life and myself over the next year. Of course, like so many people, Dec. 31 will find me trying to remember what exactly I had resolved 12 months earlier, and whether I should be setting the same goals for next year - or choosing something more achievable. 2011 was a year of babies among my friends and family in the US*, and therefore my New Year's Day greeted with singing and champagne was nothing like the New Year's Day my friends toasted with formula and fond hopes of getting some sleep again sometime soon. I rang in 2012 with a couple of English friends, who, like me, are single, childless women on good salaries.  We discussed the future: work and career trajectories, vacation plans and real estate.  It hardly needs to be said that the lives of single, childless women are different from the lives of women married with k...

Dear Reader, This is the year of the London Olympics.  I am not sporty; I do not run unless I need to catch a train or a house cat making a break for freedom.  But I can sing the Star Spangled Banner, and I can wave a flag, and I plan to spend the year being shamelessly patriotic.  (U S A ! U S A !) I've made my usual set of resolutions - read more, talk less, get up on time, keep the dishes washed, and a few other things that I'm not mentioning so they can't be held against me at a later time! I've spent my first day of 2012 holed up in my flat (it was raining, ok?) with TIRMa checking email, watching films, eating leftovers and talking about how it was potentially possible that tomorrow we might exercise. And Finally, I hope your New Year's Day has been equally successful and I wish you happiness, health and prosperity for the remaining 365! Here's to the New Year! ~~ LeAn