Such a Dick Move

The Obamas have been told they cannot move into Blair House until Jan 15, meaning Sasha and Malia can't start school on time.

The official reason is that there are guests that cannot be displaced, but I don't think anyone could be more important than the president-elect. Good move, Bushies. I suppose you'll also be removing all the "o"s from White House computers as well.

Can we just have our bike?

Japanese Subway Manners Posters

So the Japanese subways have started a campaign to help people stay nice and polite on the subways. This being December, and the traditional start of the end-of-year mind-numbing drinking parties, this month's poster has to do with drunken behavior on the train. The can of beer, the vomit, the shoe removed and ankle akimbo are all too much for our bug-eyed, freaked-out regular-joe salaryman. He even has to look the other way.

The funniest thing? The plea to "Please do it at home." Um, I think a few million Japanese housewives would disagree. Do it on the train! Do it on the train! Nobody like a drunken vomiting husband with his shoes off. It traumatizes the whole family. Behavior like this is much better in a place where the bug-eye dudes won't even look at you.

You Will Be Missed, Bettie

The Notorious Miss B passed away recently. May she rest in peace. 

We Went to New York

Christian and I went to New York to see a taping of the Daily Show and also to see Maggie Z read. Both were excellent events. We stayed with my cousin Neil in Long Island City. It was fantastic spending time with him but it was also great to see the city lit up and ready for the holidays. At the Daily Show they don't allow photographs, so there isn't any from that. I took some at Maggie's reading, but it was too dark. I guess she likes it moody. (DO you Maggie, Do you really?) But I got these from our adventures out and about in the ci-tay.

I Love Tabla

It's near Madison Park, and it is exquisite. They really commit to their desserts. This is their crepe pie--layers of pie, with some apple butter in between. To the left you'll see their churned cinnamon ice cream, some white rum sauce, and a brown sugar wafer and whipped cream on top of the pie slice. It is so goddamn good. Oh me, it is good. So go to Tabla, and learn about committing to desserts.

Got Some Christmas Shopping In . . .

We walked all around and saw the big storefront windows and everything. We went to Bloomingdales too.

And I Will Leave You With This

Neil, worried about his puffy eyes.

We stayed up late the night before and being a publishing professional, he needed to look fresh for look. Fresh, indeed. I'm waiting for this look to catch on around the world.

Thinking About a Puppy

I have some news to report: Billy and Blossom are mousers! It took them forty-five minutes together to catch a mouse and force it to submit to their will. Not bad. Blossom is now posted by the bathroom door, and Billy is re-tracing his hunting steps to search for any other mice. I think they have probably caught the only one here, but it's nice to see them get work done.

In other news, we are thinking about a puppy dog. Any ideas? Sal would like a Bernese Mountain Dog, but they are expensive, hard to get, and have really short life spans (less than seven years, more like four).

Canada, Rife with Strife

While I hate Canada so much that I don't really want to get into their politics, I'm pleased to hear there is some sort of parliamentary crisis happening there. Rheir conservative leader Stephen Harper is apparently putting together some coalition to subvert the will of the people, blag blah blah (it's a typo, but it stands). If you care about these idiots and their frozen wasteland that so many consider to be some kind of shangri-la, you can read about it here. But remember, the Canadians have perfected passive-aggressive mind control, and you may get sucked into their vortex. Just saying, is all. 

This is What I Want for Christmas

The tiniest, wee, darling baby octopus. Look at her! She is so cute I can't stand it. I bet she lives on a diet of rainbows and happiness.

Me and Billy Chillin' Like Villians

Me

Him

We Like Windows

Margaret Moose's New Tattoo Shop

While I was in NC in November, I got a little more work done on my tattoo. My tattoo lady, Margaret Moose, moved into her own shop and this is the front of it. The magic happens in back. She has tables, so I don't have to be in a chair anymore. Yay! And she is still so cool and nice. If you want to get a tattoo, I'd advise to check her out. You really couldn't do better.

My camera battery died

So there was a long section with no photos. Sorry. I did the best I could.

Some Thanksgiving Photos

Ma True was there! Here she is working on her pie crusts. I got some other photos of our Thanksgiving peeps below. The only person missing is Sal, and I will find a photo of him somewhere.

I couldn't get a great picture of Simon because he kept hiding behind the refrigerator, but he and his lady Cyb (below) came for the holiday. Thank God too, because this man knows his way around the kitchen.

I think this is a beautiful picture of Cybelle, even if it is a wee bit out of focus (my battery WAS about to die). Something about her eyes I really like. Cyb and mom and I took a walk in Hopkins Forest on Thanksgiving Day. I must be a glutton for punishment because I weighed myself after Thanksgiving dinner, but then I found out I lost seven pounds! I think Hopkins must be some sort of magical forest.

Christian and his brother Josiah sharing a beer and a laugh. Josiah just got back from Spain in time for the holiday, so we were so happy he was here. Christian thought he'd stay in Spain forever.

Shh! Billy's Special Foot Style

I know you probably think that no cat can possibly sleep with splayed back feet this way. I know it probably looks like he is getting ready to run. I assure you, this is the way Billy's feet look when he sleeps. It makes me laugh.

The Feet in Action

He really sleeps this way. Honest

Re-painting

So I haven't taken any photos of anything recently. Mostly because we are painting with a gi-normous wall in the bedroom. It involves, cabinetry, bookshelves, and a very high ceiling. So because it's been a multi-day project and there are dropcloths and paint bits everywhere I just haven't taken out my camera. 

But right now we are sleeping in my writing room (it has a platform bed in it and is also a guestroom). It's been nice, because there is an east-facing window and have seen some blazing red sunrises. But the cats are really confused. I'm beginning to think they are like dogs, because they just want to be in the same room with us, wherever we are. But in the middle of the night, they get confused. They go around and play downstairs and then come up to find the bedroom door shut, so they scratch at the door and meow. We have to yell at them "we're over here!" and then they come in and cuddle up.

Christian told me last night that he loves the cats so much he can't imagine living without them. Isn't that nice? I think he is.

That's all for now. Since there is more painting to be done, I'm going to try to squeeze some writing in before I pick up a brush.

What is it with Today's Pics?

It's like someone knows exactly how I feel about clowns. The kid's face says it all.

Hilarious

I love this.

It's vintage posters on "How to Raise Children"

And they are whack! As in, whack attack.

I Switched from Mozilla to Safari

OK, I'll be honest. At first I thought only dorks used Macs. But then I realized a lot of people I love and think are cool (Casey, Christian) use Macs. So that was a head scratcher. But when Mozilla started acting all weird and wouldn't download certain things, I switched to Safari temporarily. (Because, c'mon, what kind of weirdo uses a Mac application on a pc?)

I LOVE IT. Safari takes a little while to set up--the tabs and bookmarks and all that. But I seriously adore it. It's my new browser forever and always, amen.

So the word of the day is: Safari. And not the African kind with elephants.

I may wind up with a Mac at some point.

Also, it's kind of snow/freezing rain here. Gross. 

I'm making dinner tonight: chicken with potatoes and carrots. And I made a woodstove fire, so inside the house everything is cosy cosy.

Going to Learn How to Bake Bread from King Arthur

Did you know that King Arthur Flour is from Vermont? Now you have something other than Ben & Jerry's and Cabot Cheese to tease me about.

Anyway, they give classes on how to make croissants, pies, and of course, breads--everything from baguette to sourdough to yeast. So I think I'm gonna go take some classes and get my bake on.

The Cats are Settling In

Blossom is playing hide and seek under the duvet. She and Billy were at odds a little at the beginning, but now they are pretty happy. When they run around the house they sound like a thundering herd.

"I'm in yr beds, stealing yr warm."

This is Where I Live

This is the meadow across from the house, so this is the view from the front porch

The house. It's an old-school farmhouse with an addition, and a crazy huge deck.

The barn, milkhouse (left) and the poker house (center back)--all in the backyard. The ridge in the back is also part of the property.

Looking towards the raspberry patch, this is the view from the backyard.

The raspberry patch.

The day's raspberry harvest. I loooove raspberries. They are so good fresh off the vine.

Guess Who's Back?

Yep,
I'm back and Im blogging again. I've just been tweaking things here and there to get the site how I want it (I'd like it look similar but different) and will be back and running soon.

Ooooh, Horray for blogs!

Hiatus, Indefinitely

Hi All,
As Im going through a time of pretty intense change, not to mention trying to iron out the divorce and immigration issues with Gavin, Im going to take an extended break from blogging. I might update here and there, but definitely not the once a day I had going. I will start up at some point in the future, but I'm taking a break--going underground. You can always reach me at truehannah@gmail.com or call me at 919-612-6097.

love love love all of you.
take care.
I'll be back in the fall.

If Ever You Go To Mad Hatter's For Breakfast

Avoid the Japanese breakfast. At first I was so excited because I haven't been anywhere that serves a Japanese breakfast (which is grilled fish, white rice with sesame seeds, miso soup and usually some shredded carrot or daikon radish). But I've been getting sick all day. Headache, nausea and a little bit of dizziness, which leads me to believe they use MSG on their salmon. Ick. And ugh.

I hope I get better before my tattoo session tomorrow. Im sure a tattoo needle could make me barf indefinitely if I don't start recovering.

Millennium Tunnel

There is this tunnel that you can walk through to get to the south bank that has this poem engraved in the walls. This part of it reads "I dream of a green garden where the sun feathers my face like your once eager kiss." Damn. That made me tear up a bit.

On the South Bank of the Thames

A nice shot of Heather and John, on the south bank on the way to Tate Modern.

Me and Heather on the South Bank

Hey Mona Lisa

tee hee hee hee hee

Trust in the Phantom Hand

This is in the member's lounge at the Tate Modern, which has an amazing view of London. I am being fed a tartlet by a phantom hand. All I can say is everyone involved in the making of this photo was a terrific sport. Thank you, phantom hand.

Gay Firemen Statue

This statue is near St. Pauls Cathedral, to commemorate the brave service of firemen during WWII. Also, the gayest statue ever created. I love it. Discuss the phallic imagery amongst yourselves.

Attempt to Be Cute

After a day out, I try to be cute at the pub.

Just a Break from Europe

I just think this is funny. That is all. As you were . . . .

Saturday was Sunny

So John, Heather and I did a bit of a walkabout. From where they live in Battersea we crossed the river and went to Sloane Square and Chelsea for some people watching and shopping. We started off at the Mason's Arms. Bob Geldof comes here sometimes! I thought I saw him, but it turned out to be a homeless dude. Anyway, here we go . . . .

Sloane Ranger

Me in front of Sloane Square, where all the posh rich ladies go to shop.

A Coffee in Chelsea Farmer's Market

Chelsea Farmer's Market is really compact but super cute. I couldn't get a big panoramic picture, so I had to settle for a smaller pic. It was really lovely and posh with people drinking summer Pimm's. We just had coffee though. But we soaked up the atmosphere just the same.

And Then a Nice Pint

When we were walking down King St we got a call from some of John's friends who were at this restaurant. So we had a lovely pint in the gardens.

In Front of My Favorite Building

Me and Heather on the Chelsea Bridge with the most glorious backdrop in the world.

Brick Lane, East London

Believe it or not, Heather and I used to live near Brick Lane. We once stalked Bjork there. True story.

Dinner at Brick Lane Curry House

There were a bunch of us, and it took for-friggin-ever to get food. On the plus side, we got free booze while we waited.

Cops at the Curry House

Even though dinner was excellent, it took forever to get the food. Two patrons got up and left before their food came, after they had been waiting for 90 minutes. Some of the restaurant staff, thinking they had dined and dashed, chased them down Brick Lane with a skillet and split their heads. Obvs, the cops came. I took surreptitious photos. This lady cop was deadly serious and also deadly beautiful.

One Knightrider

All I can say is, I love this photo.

Checking in with BPS

Everyday started with this beautiful beast. I love it.

The New Memorial

So this is the new Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It is 2,711 slabs of concrete pillars on about 4 acres of land. The number 2,711 doesn't really mean anything--it's random. But it's on a rolly bit of land and very labyrinthine. You get down to where the pillars are really high and it throws sound around so you never know if that person you hear is behind you, around the corner or several rows over. Very unsettling. I found it to be a very appropriate memorial, and Im happy they placed it right beside the Brandenberg Gate and the Reichstag so it's right in the touristy area where everyone passes.

Brandenberg Gate

This is really magnificent to see in person. It's the only old gate to the city that still stands. Guess what? It was Hitler's favorite gate. If you go through it and swing a left you come to the new Holocaust memorial, and then after that the place where Hitler's bunker was, about 150 meters down the way.

Hitler's Favorite Chocolate Statuary

So Heather and I play a game that's called "Hitler's Favorite." It started when we did a walking tour of the city and the guide named a number of things as "Hitler's favorite . . . ." his favorite architect, his favorite building, his favorite view, favorite kind of nuts. So we started figuring out other things that must have been his favorite.

I heard this is his favorite (sorry Heath, favourite) chocolate statue of the Reichstag. Fassbender & Rausch did it. I also heard his favorite chocolatier was Stollwerck.
We do know he had a favorite shopping center in London. That much is true . . . .

Biking Through the City

On the last day in Berlin we biked through the city from P'berg to Zoo Station. This is in the Tiergarten. It was really hot so lots of Germans were sunbathing naked. I don't think Im mature enough to ever live in Germany. I always laugh when I see "fahrt" in any combination of words, and I think naked pasty people are also worth a giggle.

Anyway, I got my farfegnugen levels topped up and Im ready to smell some roses. Conveniently, for your viewing pleasure, that happens next . . . .