play an accordion...

Happy Birthday Dad! When I saw this happening I had to take a picture just for you...



I Love You Pop!

Happy Birthday Kelly!

I owe you some sort of creative and wonderful birthday present as soon as you've relocated. I love you little sis!

The Wallace's Pile of Rocks!

Sunday; We took a bus to a tiny town south of Glasgow called Killarmock in search of my family’s castle “Castle Cragie” .. The man who helped us figure out which bus to take asked “why would you want to go there?”
“Well, there’s some ruins we want to see out there”
Once in town we discovered that the only things open on a Sunday are the churches and the pubs. The little room next to the bus station with civic maps was closed (sadly), the police station is closed all weekend and the bathrooms in the mall are also locked. Basically the place is so remote and so tiny that there aren’t any really accurate maps of the place so once we hopped off the bus I was navigating by the fact that I knew the castle was "oh kinda 4 miles south west of the town”
View Larger MapMia didn’t appreciate my navigating skills. She wanted signs… plus it was raining (as it does in Scotland apparently all the time). So although she was ready to get back on the bus, I was just meandering in the direction that it should be in . Eventually towards the end of town we found a pub that was open. Mia insisted we go ask for directions…. the people inside were more than helpful and of corse amused that we had come all this way to see some old pile of rocks sitting out in a field. They were kind and suggested that we take a cab because “it’s so far”… and it turns out it was actually only 4 miles away. One thing that is hard to get used to is how the concept of distance in Great Britian is greatly truncated. Everything seems to be unexpectedly close. Anyway what is left of Castle Cragie is out in a field on a farm. My heart sank a little although I was ready to ask the farm owners if it was ok to head out.

 While out in the muck, the cabbie had a chat with the lady of the house ... I'm sure they had a good laugh.
Anyway here is what is left of castle Cragie ....








There is still evidence of some fine Midaeval archetecture…


One good reason to wear kilts in Scotland is that your shins are covered with skins and your nice wool garments are kept out of the mud (which is generally up to your calves). We left the field caked in mud with huge smiles on our faces.

Much Ado about a Train....

After a bit of a fight between iMovie '08 on Adam's computer and iMovie'06 on my own, I've managed to get this little video to load onto YouTube properly...
We took the train from King's Cross Station (alas no novelty platform 9 3/4 pics) we jumped on the train seconds before it left the station... The ride is a quick 6 hour ride through countryside, with a lovely tea trolly roaming at what seemed to be the exact moment I really wanted a little Earl Grey.



The music is by Rob Webster, a scientist on the British Antarctic Survey, he has a blog (link on the side) where you can download more of his music and see some amazing photos from the bottom of the world.

For the Love of Spring

Today I take a break from the ongoing account of my travels to appreciate what I have right here. Today the air smells like honey and barbeque. The buds of March (er thanks global warming) abound and yet again my bonsai has surprised me by surviving the winter. The sun is shining, the stores are all closed and rehearsal is done... soon after this post I am packing up the dog and heading for the redwoods.


----Daffodowndilly----
She wore her yellow sun bonnet
she wore her greenest gown

She turned to the south wind
and curtsied up and down

she turned to the sunlight
and shook her yellow head

and whispered to her neighbour
"Winter is dead"
--A.A. Milne

Because I am 5 years old...

because I'm having trouble getting my train ride video to load properly... and because I'm lacking motivation to write at the moment... I bring you a selective collection of the things that made me giggle.

English is different from American sometimes, and by American standards the English are dirty.

Back in "ye olde time" (I learned and forgot when) there were two streets in London where prostitution was legal. Love Lane and this one;

It's a happy bank.

The British love their Cocks.

All I hear is Bevis and Butthead. (sigh)

Burger King is selling something called "sausage butties"


This is the train you take from Heathrow airport... on the way in we were giggling... the next time we rode this train I could spot the Americans who had just arrived because they were giggling.


Ok, now it's out of my system. Soon I will make a real post...

What?!!

It was almost worth ₤1 to try this...

...almost

anti-tourisim

I grew up in a tourist town in the mountians. Downtown the tourists meander the streets as though cars do not exist. They video the totem pole (as though it were about to do something interesting). They browse the shops for kitch decorated with squirrels and moose (despite the fact that there probably has never been a moose in the San Jacinto Mountians ever), they wear flannel and those who get vacation cabins furnish the entire cabin with rough hewn wood furniture and plaid upholstry…
Now I live near San Francisco. Tourists arrive in inappropreatly cool clothing (thinking that all of California is like Bay Watch). You can spot them wearing the I (heart) San Francisco polar fleece bought at the pier, the home made t-shirts worn with shorts and visors. They ride the cable cars for $5 each way to get to Fisherman’s warf and buy canned clam chowder served in a hunk of sourdough bread…
There are also “Visitors” who actually look around and pay attention and appreciate things that they are not proscribed to look at. These are the ones who do not waste their money buying themed refridgerator magnets and cheaply made T-shirts. Visitors are encouraged to visit the beautiful places I live. Because of my strong anti-tourist leaning I think I go out of my way to not do what tourists are expected to do.
In London there are double decker bus tours, which are just about as appealing to me as riding the cable car to work. In addition to their appeal, they cost £22 (aproximatley $45). However lame it is to be a tourist, there are indeed many sights worth seeing in London. As a happy alternative, my travel companion, two of the girls from the hostel and I took public transit (also a double decker bus) to see the sights…

Prince Albert was 11' tall and made completely out of gold... do not look directly at the royalty or your retenas will be burnt.


two of my fellow anti-tour companions...

Parliament and Big Ben were much more impressive than I thought they would be. We turned the corner and actually gasped. It took a moment for me to even realize where we were... once you see the clock tower it's a bit of a give away though.

The whole day of touring town cost me a little less than £4 and I didn’t feel like I was riding a cable car of shame.

Day one;

Within the first hour of leaving the airport I discovered that "the tube" is just like BART and the subway (only far far better) I soon arrived at St.Paul's Youth Hostel. As soon as we checked in and dropped off our bags I was out for a walk. What I never realized about London is that it is jam packed with everything you hear is "in England". Within a short two hour walk I crossed the Mellinnium bridge and immediatley saw the Old Globe Theater, a skip away from that is the Rose (or so the signs said, I never actually saw the Rose)...

...we walked past one of the oldest Gothic churches in England and the footprint of the original Globe theater.


.. Sir Francis Drake's ship is docked there (a trashy tourist museum but it's there) just shortly before the London Bridge and then a short jaunt away from the London Tower Bridge...

we crossed the tower bridge...

to the left is the Tower of London (not just a tower, it's a whole castle with a tower).

This is a remnant of the original wall surrounding London (I forget which part at the moment)

Then we walked a few blocks of office buildings, but right next to the Thames river looking out onto the sparkle of "old London" across the way.

Q; So where have you been?

A; Out of Town...


In an attempt to avoid drama and jealousy and stumbling blocks that has been my answer for my week out of town. I did tie up all of my obligations, and finish some projects early, I did everything necissary to permit not being in Berkeley for the time allotted, all of corse with a very vague response of what I was up to... so now I will potentially spoil my discression by posting lots and lots of pictures of where I've been... I've been far out of town, doing research, finding family, enjoying life.
The first hour I arrived here were a few of the pics I took... for those who don't know where I was, see if you can guess.




This is of corse a quick teaser, there will be massive amounts of pictures with stories included but I am at the moment working on getting another show on its feet so blogging will probably be in small bits.

Reunion!

Almost a year ago I misplaced a stash of my favorite jewelry. Today in a fit of cleaning rage I found it! My rings! My earrings! My bracelets! All pieces brimming with good vibes. I recovered a ring my father bought me when I moved back to California, I found my mother's old turquoise rings, I found my heart charm bracelet that fascinated me as a child, I found my "atom" earrings given to me by my best friend in ninth grade...

... it's a good sign I think.

The Creepy Eyes Gallery

Hey Kelly,
Check out the new art I found down by tourist's pier... I know your birthday is coming up. These will go great hanging over your precious moments diorama and Hallmark display...