An image from the last bit of TV we saw before we left. A children's show showing children how custard is made. The small guy is very eccentric and doing all the mixing. The big guy is telling the kids what he's doing.




Something I can't get out of my head is something Viki said - "If we come back to America will you please take us roller skating". Pleeeese come to America, and please come roller skating John and Viki! You were thinking summer 2006? My schedule looks pretty free.

Happy New Year!

I love to spend time with my supersmart, supercute nieces at Christmas, they are two amazing little girls. This year we dug my old pinata out of their garden shed, a purchase I picked up about four years ago at Habitat. How was I supposed to resist a pinata in the UK? Especially since it was on sale because people did not know what it was. I filled it with toffee, chocolates and caramels, and a little bit of confetti. Wish I had put some of this in. I love that stuff. I had the confetti stored away at their house as well as the pinata. I was going to use this to make cascarones at Easter... maybe in summer.

This Boxing Day I walked over to Paul and Amy's house and Paul took me to the grocery store. I know this does not sound exciting, but it was very exciting for me. Firstly, I got to ride in a Ford Ka, my favorite english car, and with Paul who last year was completely... retrograde. This year though he was a lot less retrograde (really cool actually) and we agreed on most things. Who'd have thunk it?




Ka - built Ford tuff

I wish there were more cars like this in Texas. Actually, I wish it were safe to drive a Swatch Smartcar here.

Overheard today -

"You can walk into any supermarket in America and buy a gun"
-from a BBC show, the guy really seemed to believe this was true. Yes, I'll have to ask for a gun next time I'm in Central Market.

"So Texas, is that like... a state?"

-my haircutter guy
Better people not know where it is than have weird stereotypes about where I'm from.

"Why did you, you Stacey Richardson, vote for George Bush"

-Paul
Paul, I know that this year you were kidding.

Tonight I went out to John's club night at Milo's and it was awesome! Drinks, my friends, my favorite songs (some of them anyhow...). Met a new friend there too, a girl from Brazil whose boyfriend put Os Mutantes on the decks just for her.

Last night I watched the 1970 movie The Horror of Frankenstein, which is becoming one of my favorite Christmas movies. For the past three years I have watched about five minutes of this movie before realizing that I had seen it the year before. Does anyone know why they play this every year?

Christmas songs I have heard at least twice a day since I have been in the UK:

Pogues - Fairytale of New York

Wham - Last Christmas

Slade - Merry Christmas Everybody

John Lennon - Happy Christmas (War is Over)

Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmas time

What the?? Cowboy boots, almost filling the shop windows of Jade and Schuh. I suppose I saw them on the Schuh webpage and chose not to acknowledge them in favor of more good looking shoes. What's worse is that people are wearing them, and not in an ironic or rockabilly sort of way. Today I saw a woman in a long pink boucle coat wearing them. Also in Marks and Spencers a Muslim woman dressed in modest clothing and a hijab... and cowboy boots. I wonder why they were not in at the same time as the cowboy hat fad of 1999.
I did see a pair of gold lame' high heeled cowboy boots that I might wear, they were filthy gorgeous.
In addition to this footwear there were mukluks, yeti boots, flatboots, pirate boots, moccasins everywhere! I was going to retire mine, but now I think I might even get a new pair. I like how people are ignoring the fashion advice of magazines and shops and just putting together pieces from years past that are actually much better looking. I certainly did not think I would be seeing ponchos this Christmas season, but there they were, everywhere. This is what happens when you let one person guide a country's style.

The first bit of TV I saw in the UK was the video for "The Weekend," a song I have heard while downloading Radio 1 onto my minidisc. Had no idea how eurotrashy the video was until I saw it in our hotel room. Here, you can watch it too!
While you're there you should watch the Eric Prydz Call on Me video, which I thought would be pretty sexy, but ended up gynecological.
And also there's the Benni Benassi Satisfaction video... great song, awesome video.
I wish Americans had less tolerance for violence on TV and more tolerance for nudity!

On this trip I decided to break open my Anya Hindmarch airplane amentity kit made especially for flyers on Concorde. It it was moisturiser, lavender aromatherapy spray, and a million posh gubbins specifically categorized as takeoff, cruise and landing. Yay. Ooh, look, there goes Concorde again!

As I board that tiny plane in the morning I'm going to try to remember words my new friend Brian told me, "Just get on the plane". I think it'll help.

My top ten songs for 2004:

10. The Streets - Fit but you know it
9. Kelis - Milkshake
8. Mouse on Mars - Wipe that Sound
7. Air - Cherry Blossom Girl
6. Franz Ferdinand - Matinee
5. Rachel Stevens - Some Girls
4. Estelle - Free
3. Scissor Sisters - Comfortably Numb
2. The Knife - Heartbeats (Rex the Dog remix)
1. M.I.A. - Galang

Somebody tried to feed me pie and treat me real nice at St. Custards Academy today, which is all I ask of anyone. Unfortunately this holiday season I had to deny the pie.

Why not try parking your giant SUV in the compact car space?

Drea De Matteo is my current fashion icon. She is gorgeous. For guys my favorite look is still the Chap. I am aware these two do not go together at all.

Why not try breaking the heart of anyone who is stupid enough to fall in love with you?

Why not try setting fire to some fire?