my weekend and a haiku

It’s been a few eventful days in London which is great because it gives me something to blog about. Gina came back from San Giovanni in Fiore on Thursday night and was set to join me and the crew on Friday for our last day in Epsom. It was so exciting to know that we’re moving offices and will be somewhere new on Monday. So, after an excruciating day of meetings, I was able to join the soiree in the boardroom at 4:00 and then we began the Epsom Goodbye Pub-crawl! We started at the Rifleman, then off to the King’s Head, then to the Rising Sun, and ending at the usual spot, the Marquis of Granby. Let’s just say the ride home was quite interesting…nothing like a few train and tube rides to turn a pleasant buzz into a dizzying frenzy.

Saturday, I awoke to find that my supposed hangover was actually a head cold ready to bloom, but I was able to send Gina off to Heathrow for her trip home (I think she was very happy to be going to her own bed), and then explore a bit of my new neighbourhood before exhaustion took over. I walked down the Marylebone high street, then to Baker Street and Paddington Street, then checked out the cabbages and frocks market that happens mere meters from my home every Saturday. When I’m feeling up to it, I’ll try on those these amazing hats I spotted. They’re pretty fancy for winter, but I’m sure I can pull them off.

Sunday I woke up even sicker, but that did not deter me to go to the International Jewellers in London trade show to see my friend Georgina. She makes some really cute jewellery and I’m excited to say I bought a piece. I’ll take a pic when I get it (it’s a distribution show so not necessarily a place to buy a piece of jewellery. Her company is called vingt huit. I’ve commissioned her to build another charm bracelet for me, to include my dodo charm that I bought in Taormina. Very happy about that. Aleksandra did well with a shop called Orelia that was one of the jewellers that actually sold stuff on the floor. At cost price. Sweet. I’ve asked Georgina to make an amore and baci inspired charm bracelet in gold and purple. Can’t wait to see what she comes up with.

Aleksandra and I checked out the natural kitchen for lunch and I have to say it was a terrible experience. We both ordered the warm goat cheese salad with beetroot and walnuts…but we got 2 different looking meals. My goat cheese was cold, she had no walnuts, and none of us had beetroot. We made a comment so they were going to comp one meal but when we went to pay they didn’t….we were so annoyed we just left. Terrible service and only average food. The market looked ok, but I’ll never recommend that café for a sit down meal…EVER.

We then strolled around London because that’s what you do on a Sunday and ended up at Harrods and it was actually quite decent in there. The coolest thing though was about 2 blocks before Harrods, we walked past Yoko Ono and some guy. No entourage…just Yoko and a friend. She’s probably in town because of the 40th (I think) anniversary of the Beatles.

Anyhoo, I’m now back at home and hoping to get comatose early so I can be peppy for Monday. New office…hopefully new attitude. But here's a bizarre thing...Home Alone is on TV....in September. Oh my - let's not rush into Christmas too soon please!

Oh, and I got some great news. A friend is pregnant…but I’m not saying who until she tells those close to her (as some of you might know who she is).

But I’ll end with a haiku inspired by the pigeons in my new hood.

Marylebone pigeons are fat
Bigger than a cat
Designer garbage feeds many