Picked

Over the years, I have worked hard to create a filter (or at the very least, a delay loop) between my brain and my mouth.

Let’s be honest, I really don’t have one.  But I try.

Anywho, I digress …

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What do you see?

I got into a water cooler discussion about bugs yesterday.  There was general agreement that, typically, an encounter with a bug is not such a great thing.  They are great in the rain forest – leaf cutter ants, very cool – but not so much up close and personal – cockroaches in your bed, not cool.

Anywho, I digress … Read the rest of this entry »

Henry Cooper

Sad news today about Henry Cooper.  Yes, I know he is a Sir, but that just sounds odd.

Henry Cooper was born in Bellingham, SE London.  He grew up on the infamous council estate rather close to where I grew up.  Clearly, this is how and why he learned to fight!  In spite of the fighting, he has always been known as a very nice man.

Anywho, I digress …

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Quick! Run! No, fly! I see Grape Kool-Aid!

I have had the same email address for about 14 years or so.  Unsurprisingly, I occasionally get email from people who fat finger the email address trying to reach someone else and finding me instead.  How lucky of them.  Most of them are looking for Liz with whom I share the same last name.

I was pretty ticked off at first – someone looking for Liz added my name to one of those tedious joke of the day lists and I started getting bombarded with crap. I was pretty shirty with the offender until I realized their mistake. Now I just forward wayward messages directly to Liz and politely correct the erroneous sender.

There have been dog pictures, shopping recommendations, party invites and a rather splendid slideshow of the Kentucky Derby to name but a few.

Anywho, I digress …

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Big Shoes at The China Club, Hong Kong

Recently I took a business trip to Hong Kong.  Although I had almost no time to look around or shop, I did manage to get a jacket made in blue Thai silk (with an orange lining of course!), some fab ebony and silver chopsticks and dinner at The China Club (Thanks Chip!).

I was there right after the quake/tsunami/radiation crisis.  The news from Japan dominated the TV, newspaper and water cooler talk.  Everyday was worse than the last.  I confess that I stopped watching the news and never opened the free newspaper delivered to my room every morning.

Around the middle of the week, a rumor swept Hong Kong that the radiation leak in Japan would make the world’s salt supply permanently radioactive and that salt could offer some protection against radiation.  This caused long lines at all the stores and an exponential price increase.  People were even buying soy sauce so that they could get the salt from it.  Crazy.

Anywho, I digress …

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Home sweet home

In a very unoriginal move, this post is all about my house. Which is for sale. And you should seriously think about buying it!

If you are too far away to come to the open house next weekend, you can enjoy it vicariously through the virtual tour.

For the curious, the furniture and objets are a mix of mine and the stager’s.  Living in a staged house is weird.  A bit like living in a department store window.

Anywho, I digress …

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My friend, Mhairi

A little over 7 years ago I took a trip to Turin with a friend.  It was my first visit to Italy.  The main reasons for going were to increase the number of my country points and to honor my favorite movie – The Italian Job.  I didn’t have far to go as I was in Grenoble as the director of a research lab.  Although the lab was in France, I actually lived in Menlo Park.  I did rather a lot of flying.

I was in the top frequent flier tier of 3 airlines.  I had air miles up the wazoo, which is not a great place to keep them.  But keep them I did.  Flying was not what I wanted to do when I took a holiday!

Anywho, I digress …

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This would have been useful!

I have a bicycle.  I got it years ago, paid for with an unexpected bonus.  I always thought it was a pretty good bike.  Silver, with reflective bits and decent lights.  I don’t have a bell, I have a squeezable tortoise.  After showing it to someone who knows bikes, I realize that my bike is not great and thus, my bonus was too small.  On the plus side, my lights are fabulous!

Anywho, I digress …

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