FROM HER TOES TO HER TIARA

Happy 80th Birthday to the Queen. An amazing woman.

ELECTRIC SCREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I did it. I went to an afternoon movie with OLDS. I had wanted to see Woody Allen's Match Point and missed it for a date night but it was playing at the Electric so off OLDS and I went. The entire theater was full of women and their babies - totally wild. Needless to say, OLDS was a champ until the near bitter end. I left with probably five minutes left in the film as OLDS had had it and rather than go through a meltdown along with 50 other babies, I figured someone could fill me in. Movie - I wasn't so impressed. Good cast, fab locale (London, of course) but rubbish plot. So if any of you have seen it and can fill me in, please drop me a line. Thanks in advance!

THE ELECTRIC.

We saw Walk the Line this past weekend at The Electric Cinema down the road from us. I will never go back to a normal theater. What's better than watching a film on a rather massive and comfortable leather couch while holding a glass of Rioja? Not much. Funny thing is this same uber-theater hosts what they call the Electric Scream - on Monday afternoon you can bring your under 1's to sit on your lap and make as much (or hopefully as little) noise as they want without bothering the greater movie watching population. I plan on trying that soon! What I really want to know is, is the bar open in the afternoon?!!!

FREEDOM

We're back! Happy New Year! Sorry for going radio silent. We've been busy, busy, busy! But alas, we're back. OLDS is starting to move....very exciting.

We had a weekend of naps, eating, walks through Notting Hill and lots of laughs! Can't imagine a better weekend...although a little exercise would have benefitted Sammy and Finbar. (Carrying around our 16.5 lb-meatball doesn't quite cut it.) We recently upgraded from Sky to Sky+. What does that mean? Well, in addition to the 8 million televions channels, we now have TIVO! Having TIVO enabled us to record the last hour of Celebrity Big Brother and watch it at a respectable hour. Yes, we knew by then that Chantelle had won it but that's ok. And getting to fast forward through all the Carphone Warehouse advertisements is worth its weight in pence! We have also lined up many of the old Top Gear's we've missed over the years which makes Finbar particularly happy.

Hope this message finds those of you checking in well. We promise to write more soon. We're brewing up some more top 10 lists we think you'll find amusing.  

ANOTHER TOP FIVE LIST

Why Finbar loves living on the 'bello!

5. People, people and more people. Especially on Saturdays. It is impossible to be lonely.
4. The 'bello has a continuous block improvement program. Real Kaizen style. Once one bit of residential construction is finished, the scaffolding goes up next door! The block will sure look great when it is finished in 2025.
3. Drive-bys by the real BATMOBILE. Kickin' it Bruce Wayne style from the 1970s. I kid you not.
2. Morning serenades from the Queen's Brigade. 20 men on horseback with red helmets clomping down the street. Maybe they are chasing after the Batmobile?
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1. A Christmas Eve bagpiper cruising down the block, flying solo. Just lovely - reminds us of Bo & Stepanie's engagement party.

Happy Holidays everyone, from Finbar, Sammy and OLDS!

OUT OF THE CLOSET AND PROUD

Ok, it's true. I've long been a Mariah Carey fan. So I was excited to read the following. You go, girl!

Mariah ties Elvis with 17th No. 1 single

There. I've said it. I feel better already going into a new year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FINBAR.

Here's looking at you, kid!

GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Hard to believe it's been nearly 9 months since we moved across the Atlantic and set up house here. Needless to say it's been a fantastic adventure with loads of good people along for the ride. Some of our favorites, The Wormsley's, recently shared a list, a top 10 of sorts. We laughed out loud and thought we'd share. Soon enough, we'll add to their list. For now, enjoy!

They say there’s a first time for everything . . . like the first time you drive on the wrong side of the road and the wrong side of the car, or the first time you try “spotted dick” (a traditional English pudding, really), or the first time you include a form letter in your Christmas card. Well, the Wormsleys have experienced a lot of “firsts” in the nine months since we moved to London, so here’s a short recap of some of our favorites:

1) The first night on our “nice, quiet street” in our “charming” London townhouse (built in the mid-1800s, apparently before glazed windows, insulation and air conditioning were invented). Toto, we’re not in the suburbs anymore!
2) The first (and second, and third and fourth) time we “smoked” (quite literally) our US appliances when we optimistically plugged them into our UK sockets.
3) The first time we received fries when we asked for “chips” or Sprite when we ordered “lemonade." Thank God we know how to say wine in several languages!
4) The first trip to Harrod’s to be greeted by the unmistakable aroma of freshly baked Krispy Kreme donuts rolling off the conveyor belt (a small reminder of home)!!
5) The girls’ first passport stamps for France, Spain, Italy, and Sweden (which we learned stays light until 11:30 p.m. in May)!
6) The first time the girls accompanied Mom to the butcher and got an eyeful of whole hogs hanging from meat hooks, and calves tongues and haggis (if you don’t know what it is, I’m not telling) in the meat counter.
7) The first time we rode camels, followed by a colorful shopping expedition in the narrow back alleys of the “casbah” in Tangiers, Morocco,
8) The first time to celebrate Fourth of July at a Middle Eastern restaurant in London (oh, the irony of it all) and Thanksgiving feasting on pasta in Rome.
9) The first time we tried to buy soccer cleats and learned (after much confusion) that what we were looking for were called “football boots with nibs."
10) The first time I heard my husband use the words “lovely” and “cheers” in casual conversation.

LET ME PAINT A PICTURE FOR YOU...

While Finbar is gallavanting about from one exciting boondoggle to another, from country to country, this is what I'm up to.

OLDS had a 5.30pm appointment for some further immunization shots and a general check in with her pediatrician. OLDS sees the head of pediatrics at one of the largest hospitals here in London, where I delivered her. Nice enough woman, no kids, a bit of a ditz.

Tonight I confirmed that she’s a ditz. And this is nothing against her intelligence –she’s fantastic to deal with. It’s just getting her to show up when you’ve agreed, that's the problem. She likes to book her own appointments. I should have known then! So I show up, early as usual, which by the way is not an easy feat with an 11.5 week old baby. Announce OLDS to the receptionist and as is becoming normal, we’re not on the list. And furthermore, Dr. Ditz has canceled her clinic for today. The receptionist calls her secretary. I call Finbar to vent.

Then, the unthinkable happens. OLDS poo’s!!!!!!! I start to panic. She’s in the baby bjorn. I’ve never had this happen before - public poo’ing that is. I ask one of the nurses if there’s an open room where I can change her. I’m totally prepared, or so I think. I open her diaper and GOOD LORD, OMIGOD, there is poo EVERYWHERE!!!!!

Or I should say, poo everywhere with hardly a drop in her diaper. I panic. I start to sweat. I do the best I can, wipe her up, wrap her in an extra burp cloth so no one sees that her entire right leg is stained with poo. I put her back in the baby bjorn and head to the receptionist. I announce if there’s no word from Dr Ditz, I’ve got to go and out I go. Luckily, I find a cab quickly and get home and OLDS meanwhile is totally smiling up at me from the comfort of her now stinky baby bjorn (which I will be washing tonight, along with everything else!!!). My mother of course pulls an “I TOLD YOU SO” - never leave home without an extra outfit. I normally don’t. But I did today.

(P.S. Dr. Ditz did a house call the next night.)

FINBAR’S EXCITING LIFE IN LONDON

Zipping around the track at Silverstone. That's my instructor (read: crash prevention chaperone) saying: "Stop drooling like OLDS, and get behind the wheel!" If you are ever in the neighborhood, try: http://www.silverstone-circuit.co.uk/

Paying homage to the SWOOSH in Hyde Park - 35,000 runners hit it that Sunday across London in 3 different parks, simultaneously. Check out www.runlondon.com

Having OLDS do my work for me - how else do you think I remain so productive? One simple concept: Outsource to someone smarter.

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A NEWBORN BABY WHEN:

1. Instead of the latest ditty on Virgin Radio, you find yourself constantly humming the tunes from your baby's electronic pals (Here Comes Peter Cottontail!)
2. You find yourself on Google, searching for: "Mother's milk, formula, life altering decision"
3. Bathroom humor - still funny! Scratch that. Funnier!
4. Streaks of white spit up on your clothing. Weeks 1 through 8, you change before leaving the house. By week 9, it is de riguer, landing next to the last streak, and who has time to change anyway? Gotta keep on moving…
5. Your kid goes through 6 outfits per day (as do you), which means 2 daily loads of laundry. Great business for Persil and Tide!

WE'RE BACK! AND RESULT!

Tomorrow we go to the US Embassy to get OLDS her passport. Here’s the picture she will carry with her over the next five years. And this was taken on the first try! The gang at Snappy Snaps was very impressed. What can we say, she’s a ham!

OLDS HAS HER OWN TOP FIVE LIST ! !

Okay - only three weeks old and she is already challenging Letterman. So here goes - the Top Five Reactions to OLDS Real Name (taken from real, live situations with real, live Brits)...

5. Well - that's certainly UNUSUAL (in the Cotswolds).
4. Hmmm. Is that a real name - or did you make it up? (location withheld, too embarrassing).
3. Oh I see. Are you American? (at Blenheim Palace).
2. That's weird (in Notting Hill Starbucks).
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1. How do you spell that - did you name her after a footballer?? (Most everyone else around here...)

REDHEADS DON'T FEEL YOUR PAIN

August 10, 2005 -- Scientists say redheaded women have a gene mutation that makes them less susceptible to pain — and that the discovery could lead to the development of new anesthetics.

The study was conducted by the Medical Research Council in England using "redhead" mice with a similar mutation.

The mice, like their human counterparts, also have an unusual ability to withstand discomfort.

"The nature of it is still being worked out, but it does appear that redheads . . . require less anesthetic to block out certain pains," Prof. Ian Jackson told London's Daily Mail.

The research grew out of studies conducted at Montreal's McGill University, where scientists found a mutant version of a gene, called melanocortin-1, is linked to ginger hair and fair skin.

While testing the painkilling drug pentazocine, McGill researchers found the same gene responsible for red hair also plays a role in the body's natural pain-easing system — but only in women.

Doctors then gave out artificial painkillers, and found that the anesthetic effect was three times greater for red-haired women than for blondes and brunettes — or men.

THANK GOODNESS IT WAS A CODEINE DAY

The day after OLDS was born, my Doc came to visit and talk about the drugs he prescribed. He told me, “Don’t be a hero.” Meaning, take the codeine. But I tend to stay away from that stuff. So alas, on day 7 of OLDS’s life, my parents were leaving and I thought I might need a little extra “help” so I popped a pill. Good thing!

Later that morning I went out for my first solo outing with OLDS in the buggy. I went to buy some bread and fruit in a lovely food shop not too far away. When I got into the shop, there was a little old lady with her grocery cart (from home). There was room for us to pass but I said “excuse me” nonetheless. I repeated myself when I saw that she didn’t hear me. And then I proceeded to gingerly pass the buggy by her. Well. Once she finally woke up and smelled the coffee, that little old lady went agro on the buggy and pushed it. I was beside myself. I of course, burst into tears and kept moving towards the back of the store. Luckily, OLDS slept through this “assault.” I think what upset me most is that there was one other female customer in the store who watched it happen and several women behind the counter and no one did or said anything. When I went to pay for my things, the woman at the register slid a sleeve of chocolate chip cookies into my bag. She apologized for Mrs. Soandso. Through my tears, I said, “She’s a regular here? My daughter is 7 days old.” And then she offered to help me with the door which I refused and I left, swearing no matter how good those cookies are, I would never return to that shop. I was just so horrified that people could be so cold. I’m sure the hormones were not helping but I cried all the way to Starbuck’s where I made myself feel better with a decaf latte (my current drink of choice). OLDS and I went home and turned on Jack Johnson and just chilled out.

Then, some time later, my in-laws had just arrived to the house and were fixing themselves some lunch. I went to go upstairs when while passing by the living room I spotted water pouring through my ceiling! We scrambled to collect pots to prevent the water from trashing my Nepalese rug and my father-in-law ran upstairs to find the source of the problem. The hose from the washer has separated from the wall and was pouring through the floor into my living room. We turned off the water and the damage was contained. No one seemed as mortified by this as I did so I’m trying to just ignore the peeling paint on my ceiling.

So after a tough start to that day, we did all go out for a lovely walk through the neighborhood and OLDS slept the entire time! Boy was I grateful for that little codeine pill! It definitely helped smooth the rough edges.

THE GUZZLER HAS PERFORMANCE ANXIETY

Many of you know by now we love our car. That being said, of late, we've not been good car owners, in large part because one of us was massively pregnant. Finbar came home from the hospital to install the car seat and come and pick OLDS and I up when I got a call on my mobile. The Guzzler wouldn't start. The battery was dead.

So our first ride as a family was in a cab, listening to Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers singing "Islands in the Stream." Not a bad way to teach your kid music appreciation!

SLEEPLESS ON THE ‘BELLO

Our Little Drunken Sailor arrived on August 5, 2005 at 10.59 pm. She was kind enough to wait until the end of what was a very busy week for her father. We call her Our Little Drunken Sailor (OLDS) because when she finishes feeding, well, that’s what she looks like. And then there are the hiccups!

She’s had a rigorous course of Grandma’s and Grandpa’s and even withstood some poking and prodding by an 8 year old and a 5 year old friend. She took it like a champ! She’s letting us sleep some. We haven’t quite mastered afternoons and evenings. I think we’re grooving on nighttime and even mornings which is positive.

Stay tuned. More to come.

DIY AT 1,161,000 FT

Bless this country and their national obsession with DIY. Radio and papers are all reporting that Astronaut Steve Robinson has ahead of him today perhaps the most challenging DIY project in history. All eyes will be on him – Best of Luck, Steve!

*DIY, for those who aren’t familiar with the term, means "do it yourself."

WIMBLEDON’T

Ah, I can remember that day clearly now, Thursday 30th June 2005. I have only now started to accept the events of that fated day and it will be forever burned into my mind....

Upon my arrival to London on 30th March, I knew that I had precious few weeks to complete a task that would forever shape my time here. So I got immediately to work and asked half of the City to graciously offer me a Wimbledon ticket. After weeks of effort and unreturned phone calls and emails, lost friends, and doors shut in my face, my good friends at Barclays extended the invitation (thanks Tom & Brian!) and that lovely ticket arrived at work. It was for none less than the women's
Semi-Finals! Maria Sharapova vs. Venus Williams, and Lindsay Davenport vs. Amelie Mauresmo. And these guys have debentures - not just tickets - that means that they are highfliers in old Wimbledon. The fortunes were beginning to smile on old Finbar.

I could not contain my youthful glee and enthusiasm as I waited for that day. Unfortunately, only a single ticket arrived so I would be forever in the dog house with Sammy. But that is a story to be told another day.

After days of sparkling sunshine, the 30th arrived with a patch of grey and perhaps some spitting, as the Brits call it - a gentle mist that floats down from the sky. I was not deterred by this. After an easy trip on the light rail from Waterloo, I arrived at the Wimbledon Village at around 11.30am. It hummed with excitement. I arrived at the Barclays Box at the No. 1 Court Complex for the 11.45am luncheon (prompt!) and mingled with other financial luminaries. Ilie Nastasi - a dead ringer for Gérard Depardieu, or maybe the other way around? - was there to entertain and his tan skin was a source of light and power for the room. But outside, it was a different story - still gray.

Play begins on center court at 1pm. Or not. The court remained covered, but the stands remained filled. Spectators could not reconcile the disconnect. It was clearly NOT raining - and the English know rain when they see it. To paraphrase our pal Lloyd Bentsen's famous words uttered in Omaha, Nebraska on October 5, 1988: "I know Rain. Rain is a friend of the English. Senator, it was not raining at Wimbledon on 30th June 2005." I, however, stayed glued to my seat, convinced that the action would soon begin.

But it was not meant to be for poor Finbar. I had to return for a 6pm meeting back at the office. So, I left in the 4's - after waiting more than 3 hours for play to begin. Wimbledon went on without me. Play started at 5.20pm after over 4 hours of rain delays. But, I saw no tennis - except for the recap that night on SkySports. No strawberries and cream. No players' grunts. No grass worn down during exciting volleys. No champagne. Alas, after months of work it was over - and fruitless. Scuttled by the mist. Perhaps it was not meant to be in 2005...

But there is always next year.

I WANT MY SKY TV

Here are our top three favorite television shows. I wish you could all see them….in particular, Finbar and I now arrange our Sunday nights so we are home in time to see Top Gear. The others, we can miss, but not Top Gear – amazing. It’s like Car & Driver comes to the big screen. I say big screen because the cinematography is breathtakingly beautiful. If you visit their site, you can watch some of the segments we’ve seen.

Top Gear
Jeremy Clarkson and his mates assess all sorts of cars, from the cheap to the magnificent. Funny – they tee’d up last night as a review of cheap cars. So, they kicked off the show by reviewing… the cheapest new FERRARI – HO ! ! ! The new 430 is AMAZING. Can’t wait to get a scale model. Jeremy in particular is a skilled journalist – this is a guy who slipped 2 discs driving a new 400+ hp Vauxhall Monaro VXR and was back on the show the next week. Just like the pages of Car & Driver, he can make even a non-car person sit up and take notice. If you go to the website, check out the Aston Martin vs. train race. Cook up some ‘corn and prepare to be amazed.

Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares
Gordon hasn’t really caught on in the States and honestly I wasn’t all that into him until I saw this show. He is basically a London equivalent of Jean Georges – the hottest restaurateur in town. I know he’s a fellow marathoner and all but I’m sort of over Michelin stars, really. But watching him on this show, you have new found respect for Gordon – he’s highly articulate, thoughtful, and talented, he can cuss like the best of them (says “fook” a lot), and he’s damn funny. Finbar ran into him getting out of his rad new Bentley coupe in front of Claridge’s.

Little Britain
All I’ll say is it’s “gorgeous!” Started on the radio, now on TV. And you thought Ali G was a hoot! These are two blokes who dress up as women. Seriously.