Oh Land – Son of a Gun

Cee Lo Green – No One’s Gonna Love You (Paul Epworth Mix)

so once upon a time, a few weeks ago, on a wednesday night after work, i ran a sprint triathlon on the grounds of a castle with a few friends. nerves ran high. mostly because none of us had really trained or knew what we were doing. erika and i sniffed fresh lavender we found in the garden to try and help calm us down. we all rocked up to the pre-swim meeting wearing nothing but little swimsuits; all the other racers were decked out in wetsuits. the race official gave our motley crew one look and said, “well obviously the experts have just turned up.” clearly. considering my lack of preparation and the fact that i didn’t use a road bike, i think i did alright. as i finished the course, i thought to myself, “maybe next time i’ll train. i think i could be decent at this if i actually trained.” duh. pretty sure i said the very same thing the last time i did a triathlon. and ever other time i do something that i should have been more prepared for. some things never change….

yeah, yeah. my transition time could use some work. okay, all of my splits could use some work.

so i’m kind of obsessed with going to gigs lately. it’s slightly ridiculous. but i can’t seem to get enough. i think it’s a phase. or maybe i’ve finally found my passion in life (have i mentioned how i don’t feel like i have any life passions?). yeah, it’s probably just a phase.

it doesn’t help (or maybe it does) that i’ve found a partner in crime who is obsessed with going to gigs as much as I am. maybe even more. (thanks karen! BFOG for life!)

tonight’s gig did not disappoint.  we saw athlete play an acoustic set at union chapel. it had all the elements i could want from a gig:

• good opening band (My First Tooth) that I didn’t know beforehand but will probably start listening to. check.
• cool, intimate setting. check.
• stripped back sound. check.
• playful banter between artist and audience. check.
• legitimate musical talent. check.
• heartfelt lyrics. check.
• audience sing-a-long. check.
• super hot sexy lead singer that you can’t take your eyes off of. check. check. and check.

so yeah. it was good. better than good. it was ‘wow!’ go catch a show on their current “The Hits Stripped Back” tour if you can. i highly recommend. even if you don’t really know their music. i promise you’ll enjoy it. and if nothing else, the lead singer is easy on the eyes.

and since i love covers, check out their cover of La Roux’s “Bulletproof”:

my tips: attend evensong. stare up into the dome. admire the newly cleaned stone. walk the entire perimeter. try leapfrogging over one of the london city metal posts on your way around it and then laugh really hard when you don’t quite make it over the top. play in the nearby fountain at night with dave.  also race across the lawn with dave. let dave win so he feels good about himself as a boy. listen to the messiah performed at christmas. ride up the glass elevator across the street. stare at it from the rooftop terrace of the new shopping center across the street. ride back down the glass elevator. don’t forget to keep staring. approach it by getting off at mansion house tube stop and walking up the little alleyway of bow lane and then turning at the corner of waiting street and……BAM! there it is in all its glory.

despite all my love for this building, somehow i still haven’t climbed the dome. one of these days i will…….

My street, Heyford Avenue. I live in the white building at the end.

My flat at 69c Heyford Avenue

The view from my bedroom window. Aren't the chimneys just screaming London skyline?

Welcome to the neighbourhood!

1. I feel like blogging again. We’ll see how long the feeling lasts.
2. Listened to the new Beastie Boys album Hot Sauce Committee Part 2…..It. Is. Sick. old school Beastie Boy flavor but new and fresh. i dig it. reminds me that i would love to see them live in concert some day.
3. My outfit really came together this morning. That always feels good.
4. After too many ridiculously long work days and several late nights in the office, successfully launched a new product line at work today. Contiki Holidays is now going to South America. Arriba, arriba!
5. My friends Amy & Katie came from the States to visit me a few weeks ago; they graciously imported a couple bottles of Diet Dr Pepper for me because they know I love it and I can’t get it London. I’ve been saving them for a special occasion. Cracked one open and drank it today in celebration of Contiki launching the new South American tours. Cheers! Life is just good when you’re sipping on a cherished bottle of DDP.
6. My boss brought back treats from his travels to Australia. Why are Caramello Koalas and Pineapple Lumps so ridiculously good?
7. Felt like such a treat to leave the office at 6.00pm when it was still light outside. I’m hoping this becomes the norm.
8. Speaking of it being light outside, there was still a tinge of lightness in the sky at 10.00pm. Can’t wait to soak up the long, light summer days the UK has to offer.
9. Caught up with a couple of my favorite friends over decent shawarma & boba tea. I know, random combination, but the shawarma place was right next to the boba place and it felt like the right thing to do at the time. However, I’m still undecided if its right or not to suck up small, chewy balls while drinking a beverage. But I can tell you, its always right to laugh and laugh with your friends about each other’s funny life stories.
10. As I was a cycling home tonight and had stopped at a traffic light, a cute boy on a bike came up behind me and notified me my back like wasn’t turned on. I told him sadly the battery had died earlier. He proceeded to give me one of his extra blinking red back lights and told me to keep it. Uh. How nice is that? Stuff like this reminds me there is still a lot of goodness in the world. Can’t wait to take his generous act and pay it forward.
11. Chatted with my little sister for a long time. She’s planning to visit me this summer. Yay! I love my family.

saddest day. bikey is gone. i came out of the flat one morning last week and found he had been lifted in the night. totally gutted. i was really starting to get attached to him and was loving the daily routine of cruising london’s streets together. cycling imparted so much freedom and joy and simple, happy moments in my life; something i’ve really appreciated lately. and now that freedom and joy has been stolen. bummer deal man.

as i walked down the street that morning i really felt inclined to kick a rubbish bin over or something. but decided defacing somebody else’s property probably wasn’t the best response to my property being burglarized. so i turned instead to my thoughts and pondered on the concept of “stealing” someone’s freedom or joy. i wondered in what ways i’ve been party to stealing someone else’s freedom or joy. i hope i haven’t done it much. and i’d like to think i’ll be more conscious of it in the future. because as it turns out, stolen joy its not a pleasant feeling. anyway, just something to think about.

Clearly I'm winning.

And this is the email chain that followed >>>

Yep. That's right.

Good times.

Tower Bridge

The the next day I ran past this building on my morning run…
(yes, I live close enough to jog on over to see how Big Ben is doing; how’s that for cool?)

Houses of Parliament

And even though these icons have become a part of my weekly routine,
I’m still in awe every time I see them.

Always novel. Never not novel.

I heart London.

The end.