A Sunday Afternoon Update

In no particular order ...

• At 203 pages on Day Seven, I'm well ahead in my Middlemarch game. I've left Miss Brooke (now Mrs. Causabon, poor dear fool) crying in Rome, a trifle vexed because ...

  Having once embarked on your marital voyage, it is impossible not to be aware that you make no way and that the sea is not within sight — that , in fact, you are exploring an enclosed basin.

  Miss George Eliot is a shrewd one. And she's making me laugh quite a bit. Who knew?

• He who I share said basin with went out for a bike ride awhile ago. I told him to be careful and he said, "I'll try not to get clipped by a motorcycle this time."

  "When did you get hit by a motorcycle?"

  "Oh last week. We were both stopped at a traffic light, and he must not have seen me, because he turned in front of me, clipped my front wheel and knocked me off my bike. All these people came running over to me. It was embarrassing. I was going to tell you, but you were running a LIfe Club or something, then I forgot."

  "Please don't get killed. It would be an awful mess trying to get my work permit resorted and I'm not ready to leave the country yet."

  Besides, one family member in the hospital at a time is more than we need.

  So he's out cycling now, and I keep hearing sirens. Nice.

• Larry's Auntie Lorna is said ailing family member and by all accounts isn't doing great. Send all good thoughts her way (and to Uncle Fred and the rest of the clan) in Toronto. You know it's awful when morphine can't make it better. Bless.

• Had lunch yesterday at a new Mexican place recommended in this week's Time Out. It's called Wahaca and, especially given the dearth of good Mexican food in London, is worth a visit. We'll be back.

• Also in the same issue of Time Out is an interview with the always charming Miss Coco Peru, with whom I have the pleasure of dining with tonight. We met Clinton/Coco on last year's holiday and it'll be lovely to spend some time with him before he gets all wrapped up in what's sure to be a huge success at the Soho Theater.

  Go and see the show. It'll be very funny.

• Took the Kazakhs to the National Gallery on Friday afternoon. Not as successful as taking my Italian student to the Tate and Hayward on Thursday, but I got to see Van Gogh's chair (note to CB: interesting how he put a tiny pipe, something to be filled and sucked on, on his chair and a huge burning phallic candle on the matching chair he painted for Gaugin) and Degas' Ballet Dancers. At least I was inspired.

• Watched Junebug yesterday and Amy Adams slayed me.

  God loves you just the way you are. But he loves you too much not to want you to change.

• Got an email and baby pictures last week from someone I thought I'd lost touch with. Baby Isabella is beautiful, and I'm glad to hear from her mum. Looking forward to a face-to-face catch up.

• I'm shortlisting the nominations for Post of the Week this week, so get out there and find me some good things to read.

• The next two weeks are insane. 3 hours a day with my Italian girl, trying to get her up-to-speed for an interpreter exam. An hour a day of social conversation with a VIP diplomat from Iraq (not sure if they told him I'm American ... a little nervous). 3 and 1/2 hours with the Kazakhs (only two more weeks and they're off to Dubai for six months). I've also get 2 nights of 2-hour business writing sessions with an HR consultant from China and 2 Life Clubs to run. No rest for the wicked, but I'm still enjoying it.

And what's new with you?