An Optimistic Cup and Other Finds

Let's take a break from all the politics (please!), and enjoy another round of miscellaneous iPhone photos!

The cup above, found on a sidewalk in Hampstead, pretty much captures my current mood, with Biden's position looking better and better. (OK, that was politics. But no more. I promise.)

A sign outside a dog grooming parlor. Hopefully short people won't take offense.

This circle looks like it probably once contained a portrait of Devon, who died too young.

Another curious trash find -- a big ropey lamp. Might look good on a boat.

Not far up the same street, a bed! Probably too big for a boat, though.

This fragment of printed paper was attached to a parking sign. I can't tell what it was supposed to say, but it looks very philosophical.

When I was at Majestic to buy some wine last week, I saw these bottles of their house rioja. I loved the label. (I bought one.)

A hood ornament on a very old Morris car parked near Fortune Green. (This one, in fact. It's been around there for years.)

I showed you some of the carved pumpkins in our neighborhood at Halloween, but this one stood out -- it's not quite a pumpkin. Maybe a squash or gourd?

Finally, this "monstrous" food tray for kids was sitting on someone's garden wall, apparently awaiting a new home. It's pretty cute and it's in good shape. Hopefully someone will make use of it!

The Waiting Game

When Olga and I stepped out the front door yesterday morning, this was the scene on our street. Foggy London town! The mist lingered through the morning until lunchtime, when the sun finally came out. Of course, by then I was at work...

...but I got to enjoy the effects of the dramatic slanting sunlight in the library.

I was checking the news all day, as I'm sure all of us are, and I was dismayed when I woke up this morning that things are still up in the air. I'd hoped we'd get a result overnight. But I'm sure the ballot-counters are being especially careful, given the closeness of the race, and I get that. I'm nervous as a cat.

Here in London, we heard lots of pops and crackles last night for Bonfire Night, but I didn't see anything visually. Sometimes when I look down the hill on the horizon I can see fireworks, but not this year. Our latest lockdown began yesterday so any celebration involving a crowd would have been impossible.

People didn't hesitate to flock to the city for a last, pre-lockdown fling on Wednesday night, though. 🙄 (That's an eye-rolling emoji, in case it's too small for you to see.)

Oh, and remember how I mentioned that the BBC had imposed new rules on its journalists that some said may preclude marching at LGBTQ Pride events? And I pointed out that my former employer, The New York Times Company, had rules that allowed attendance in a non-political way? Well, the BBC director clarified their rules, and it turns out they're similar -- non-political participation is fine. So that's good.

Other than that, we're the same here as you are there -- waiting. Metaphorically, my cuticles are a wreck.

Ups and Downs and Ups

How many ways can I photograph our avocado tree? Hmmm...

Seriously, taking pictures at this time of year becomes a challenge, since I'm at work all day and it's dark during my free time. And an even bigger challenge now that the aging dog is less enthusiastic about her morning walks.

So what about this crazy election? Good grief! What a roller coaster. I was fairly sanguine yesterday morning about the prospect that Biden might lose, but as the morning progressed I got more and more depressed. At least there wasn't the paralyzing shock that followed the election of 2016 -- everyone knew this race would be close. And then Biden's fortunes seemed to reverse (as the experts said they would) with the counting of the mail-in ballots, and now, here we are, apparently within reach of victory.

You want some dark entertainment? Go to a right-wing news web site (the more extreme the better) and read the reader comments. Trump's far-right minions are furious. Many exhibit a basic misunderstanding of the vote-counting process and sling a lot of warped accusations. ("The Democrats are STEALING THE ELECTION!") More frighteningly, some are pledging secession and vowing to take their guns to the streets. They're using the words "civil war."

Seriously, everyone needs to calm down. I said to myself all along that in a pinch, I could survive with either man as president. It's just the presidency. We're not electing someone to be God.

My friend Liz sent me this photo of some cool street art in her neighborhood near Washington, D.C. This was taken before Wisconsin and Michigan went blue, obviously.

Meanwhile, here in the UK, it's Bonfire (or Guy Fawkes) Night. We've been hearing the pops and crackles of fireworks for several nights now. We're doing nothing special to celebrate, especially since there's a national lockdown beginning today, but maybe we'll see some fireworks set off by our neighbors.

There have been some crazy stories about huge parties and gatherings being busted by the police prior to our lockdown. Over the weekend they shut down an illegal rave in Hampstead. Look at these pictures! No wonder Covid cases are increasing. (Similar things have been happening in the states.)

On Friday night Dave and I wanted to get take-away rather than cook. I had the bright idea to finally try Nautilus, a nearby fish-and-chip shop that I've pictured here before. As you can see, we each got a big ol' slab of haddock plus chips -- I added the veg myself. It wasn't cheap but it was good. (I'm kind of a ninny -- I don't eat the breading. I know some people would find that sacrilegious, but I'm trying to take care of my blood vessels.)

I'm about to embark on my annual Dickens reading project. This year I'm going to read "The Pickwick Papers." I have a stack of about six New Yorkers and some other magazines to get through, too, and that's stressing me out. I may just recycle them and start fresh. Sometimes it's got to be done.

Moonlight Madness

This photo of our patio may look dark and unremarkable -- but consider that it was taken at about 3 a.m. by moonlight. That's how bright the moon was last night. As I was up wandering around, keeping an eye on the news, I experimented with the camera to pass the time. I think it's pretty cool, and interesting that the image retains so much color -- more color than my own eyes were capable of seeing at that hour.

Dave and I didn't try to stay awake to see the election results come in -- it was the wee hours of the morning here by the time the polls closed on the east coast, so that wouldn't have made sense. Instead we went to bed as usual and then woke up and checked results between intermittent dozing.

So far it's unfolded about as I expected. I had hoped Biden might pull off a win in Florida, but I told Dave yesterday that I'd be stunned if it happened -- Florida is generally red as a rule -- and indeed it has not. I knew all those dreams of a nationwide blue wave were unlikely. I stand by my skepticism of the polls and my belief that a lot of Trump voters either don't talk to pollsters or lie about their voting intentions.

Of course I'm still hopeful, but I'm also resigned to the possibility that we may have four more years of this awful man. What I struggle to comprehend is what so many people see in him. I think a lot of Republican voters probably stayed loyal to their party in spite of Trump,  for business reasons or the perception that their taxes would be lower. I think his demonstrated support of Israel probably won him some friends. There's a cultural struggle over the coronavirus, and those who want us to plow ahead and let Darwinian principles decide who lives and who dies see him as their man.

I am also reminded that personally, I really am an outlier -- an educated gay man with professional skills, no kids and the opportunity to live overseas. I understand that I do not have the same concerns or struggle with the same issues that many Americans face. I don't have opioid-addicted relatives, my finances are relatively stable (if a bit shallow on assets, given that I don't own a house), I don't have to send kids to college, I'm not religious, I haven't fired a gun since childhood summer camp, and I have a job that (so far) has been coronavirus-proof. Trump's appeal is mystifying to me, but admittedly, I'm coming from a different place.

Anyway, we'll see what happens.

Meanwhile, in London, the crap corner was looking especially crappy the other day. There's probably a metaphor in there somewhere.

Birthday with Yellow Ginkgo

That's a ginkgo tree in Golders Hill Park. I love ginkgos for their bright yellow color in fall. I don't see a lot of them here in London, but in New York they're a common tree on streets and in parks, and when I lived there I relished that change of color.

My birthday went well yesterday, though we were busy as all get-out in the library (for some reason) so I didn't think about it for most of the day. We had about 90 check-outs, which may not sound like a lot, but because our coronavirus-prevention measures mean the kids can't come in to get their own books, I ran to a shelf, retrieved a book, checked it out and delivered it to a classroom for many of those transactions. I remember thinking at some point, "Man, I am getting some exercise today!"

My co-workers gave me a bottle of wine and some cookies. There's kind of a funny story behind the wine. Remember that night several weeks ago when we librarians gathered in the evening for drinks? Well, we consumed a bottle of wine that belonged to a co-worker who wasn't there, with the obvious intention of replacing it. Last week, my boss gave me some money and asked me to pick one up, and I went to three wine shops and couldn't find the same brand, so I ordered it online. It came over the weekend, I took it to school yesterday -- and what do you think my birthday present was?! Yes, that SAME bottle of wine.

Dave gave me a new camera bag and a new shirt -- a jungly print with green leaves and a kind of '60s vibe, which I like a lot.

And I had about 80 birthday greetings on Facebook, which is always so great. I love hearing from people I never hear from otherwise. Every year I am reminded that I need to be better about acknowledging people's birthdays on Facebook because it gives me such a boost.

As you can see, my martini did happen. By the way, I don't know why it looks like there's a hideous spot on our couch. It is an incredibly ugly couch, I'll grant you -- we bought it from the former tenants of our flat and we're loath to replace it as long as we have the dog. But honestly, that spot does not exist in real life.

And now it's pouring rain outside. I got up early thinking I'd get the dog walked before work, but I'm sure she's not going to want to go.

The mural graffitist has been at it again. I wish they'd learn to spell.

Martini Day

It's a special day, everybody -- the day I turn 54. I have moved from my late early 50's to my early mid-50's.

The image above is a photo of a birthday card sent to me by my friend Liz, and funnily enough, that is EXACTLY my plan for the evening. I love martinis and I don't have them often, because they pack quite a punch, but I fully expect to have one tonight! I even asked Dave to buy olives to make it complete.

Liz also sent me a fun t-shirt and some socks, and Dave's parents sent me a gift, and Dave has a few unadorned Amazon packages lying in the front hallway that I'm pretty sure are mine. Woo hoo!

My blog commenters taught me something yesterday. I had no idea there's such a thing as a Thanksgiving cactus. In fact, when the first commenter (VRP) mentioned it, I thought she or he was joking. But then Sue confirmed it, and it really does exist -- and maybe that's what ours are. I thought they were simply Christmas cacti blooming early!

Above is a new shot of our garden, with its ever-changing autumn hues. The Japanese maple is turning its typical crimson color, which we always enjoy. I suppose I should rake the lawn.

We've had some blustery days here, with lots of wind and rain. It was dry enough yesterday to take Olga for a long walk on the Heath. Manic squirrel-chasing ensued.

I finished both my books, the million-page "Troubled Blood" by Robert Galbraith and "Strawberry Girl," my latest Newbery read. (Which I really enjoyed, given its Central Florida setting -- my home turf!) I also went to our local book shop to order some books I read about in The New Yorker several months ago, but it turns out only one of them is available from their suppliers. I try to support the small local shop, but it looks like I'll have to resort to Amazon for the other two.

And now, on to the election. Let's hope I get what I really want for my birthday -- a new president!

The Eleventh Month

Well, we had no trick-or-treaters, as expected. Which is just as well because we had no candy.

But there was plenty of Halloween activity out there yesterday. When Olga and I went to the cemetery in the afternoon for our daily walk, there were tons of little kids scampering around in costumes with their parents in tow. I guess I should have anticipated that the cemetery would be deemed an appropriately ghoulish place for a Halloween family outing.

These were British kids, too, based on their accents. Some of you asked in yesterday's comments if British people celebrate Halloween, or if my pictures depicted American households. At least some British people certainly do celebrate to some degree. I'm not sure who was putting out all those pumpkins, but I don't think Waitrose would set up its big pumpkin display just for American expats.

Other than our walk to the cemetery and a morning walk around the neighborhood, I spent virtually the whole day on the couch, reading. I've almost polished off my Robert Galbraith tome -- in fact, I expect to finish it today.

The picture above is our delphinium, which is blooming again. Even this late in the season, some of our flowers are chugging along!

Our Christmas cacti are blooming as well. The two on the left -- the pink ones -- came from cuttings that broke off a big Christmas cactus at work. I'm glad I was able to keep them alive and get them established enough to bloom. The one on the right I bought at Homebase last year, and it's always seemed a bit stressed to me -- see the dark pigment in the leaves? But it's blooming quite profusely too, so I guess it's happier than I thought.

You've probably heard that we're about to go into another lockdown. England's Covid numbers have been climbing crazily, particularly in the north and northwest, so after Thursday, all non-essential businesses, including shops, restaurants and pubs, are to close except for takeaway service. There are also greater restrictions on household mixing, I believe, as well as an extension of the government's support program for furloughed workers. But schools will stay open, and Dave and I are lucky in that our day-to-day lives probably won't change much.

Welcome to November!