Oxford's bag lady, Celine Dion and me

Most Fridays I work at home, but as I may have mentioned in the past, I have a short attention span, so I quite often do what every well-meaning but unfocussed writer does: I go to Starbucks.

This past week I settled in at the only good Starbucks in Oxford, sneakily tucked in the back of Borders, far from the madding (tourist) crowd, and devoid of English-exchange-baristas, frequented only by a few savvy students, intellectual expats, and apparently, Oxford's homeless.

As I hammered out mindless newsbriefs I noticed a local crazy lady (I know this is a horribly un-PC term, but there's no other way to say it), sipping a £3 latte - as the British homeless are apt to do - and developing a frothy milk mustache on top of her already existent mustache. Unfortunately, she noticed me at the same moment, put down her latte and hobbled across the shop, extending an open bag of Fox's Glacier Mints...

Crazy Lady: Do you want a sweetie?

ASR: No thank-you, I don’t like mint candies.

CL: …I like your… pancakes… in America.

ASR: Oh, well, I’m Canadian, but I like the pancakes in America as well.

CL: You’re Canadian? I like the Canadian singer. Can you give my love to her when you go back?

ASR: Well there are lots of Canadian singers.

CL: Well I like the Canadian one. I have all of her records. What’s her name again?

ASR: Do you mean Celine Dion? [a safe, if humiliating bet]

CL: Yes, will you send my love to her when you see her?

ASR: Well, she lives on the opposite side of Canada [forget even trying to explain the whole Vegas show thing], so it’s not very likely that I’ll run into her.

CL: Okay, have a safe trip home, and send my love to everybody. In Canada.

ASR: Thanks, I’ll do my best.

CL: I have to go now…[thoughtful pause]… Do you need any help with your computer? [reaches for it]

ASR: No, no I’m just fine!

CL: You’re a WHIZ KID!!!

Orla does Target.

Please, my American friends, get yourselves to Target in February and snap up something from the new Orla Kiely housewears collection. Never have I felt less smug for having access to British shops - the affordable stuff is always on the other side of the Atlantic!

you say you want a resolution?

well, you know...

Best and Worst of 2008 Booklist is coming soon. promise. But for now, we're midway through the first month of 2009 and I really shouldn't be dwelling on the past.

Sometimes I make New Years resolutions. Of course I do. I just have a pretty bad memory and am easily distracted.

Last year, for the first time (inspired by this lady), I wrote down my new year's resolutions. Locked 'em in ink. Some of them I surpassed (see the list of books below), some of them I hit spot on (gym membership and thrice-weekly attendance, check!), and some of them I admittedly totally bombed (i've yet to leave the snack aisle empt-handed).

I had a lot more goals than that and actually did pretty darn well until we moved to Oxford and i started my 5-hour daily commute. This year I held no illusions. I will not be enjoying post-work jogs or hour-long morning devotions. I've had to make some compromises. Time is at a premium kids!

In light of these time constraints, I have been tempted to follow the trend and send this blog to the e-archives in the sky, but as I pondered my aims for 2009 I had to confess, I really love this. But I HAVE neglected it - especially the part where I just write about everyday life, which is what most of you far away friends probably come here for anyway.

So 2009 new year resolution #8 is: be intentional about writing, right here on my front lawn :) Starting now.

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Well, let's get caught up.

Dean and I went home for Christmas. It was a whirlwind visit - actually a blizzard visit, and said weather dictated our travel schedule all along the way (complete with various unexpected layovers in various cities). But it was wonderful to be home - even the sight of junkies in Gastown alleyways made me feel nostalgic.

We've only been back ten days and already we've had a houseguest from Aberdeen (beloved Dr Anne Little), enjoyed a day of London shopping (where I finally got my long-desired Orla bag), sipped hot Winter Pimms by a pit of glowing coals, and saw some melting ice sculptures in Kensington.

Did I say TEN days? In those ten day I've also ridden the bus to and from London 14 times. The latest issue of the magazine arrived while I was away. It's okay. I eagerly anticipate the day when I find business education exciting enough to thumb through each issue again an again. ehm... but I won't hold my breath.

That brings you up to the present. Tonight we are going to catch up on some moving-watching and cab-sauv-drinking with a side of spring vegetable risotto. If I feel ambitious, I may also customise our new Habitat lamp :)

Daytrotter Sessions

WOW. this is one of the best internet finds in a long time. restock your ipod kids because the Daytrotter Sessions has original recordings of all your favourite and soon to be favourite bands (visit session archives). Better yet, they're available to download. for FREE. I'm just giddy over this.

A big thanks to Zach Bulick for the link.

First Aid Kit does Fleet Foxes

This video has been popping up in my blog circles for a while now.

I mentioned my love for it during dinner with some friends over the holidays, and they'd not yet seen, so I guess these adorable Swedes deserve a bit more coverage.

And if you like the Fleet Foxes cover, you'll love their original tune and their seriously awesome Christmas classic below

Tiger Mountain Peasant Song


You're not coming home tonight


Blue Christmas

2008 books

I made a few resolutions last year. All the fitness and healthy eating ones when out the window when I started commuting from Oxford to London every day. My more ambitious "Read 30 books" resolution, however, was a cinch to match and even surpass. The complete list is below. Stay tuned for my top ten picks and top five disappointments in the weeks ahead.

January
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, JK Rowling
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
The Man of My Dreams, Curtis Sittenfeld
The Escape and other stories, Katherine Mansfield

February
On Beauty, Zadie Smith
The Kiss and other Stories, Anton Chekov
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
Run Baby Run, Nicky Cruz

March
The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton
About a Boy, Nick Hornby

April
A Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Man and Boy, Tony Parsons

May
White Teeth, Zadie Smith
Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

June
Chasing Harry Winston, Lauren Weisberger
The Emperor's Children, Claire Messud
Dreams from the Endz, Faiza Guene

July
The Friday Night Knitting Club, Kate Jacobs
Why Should Anyone be Led by You? Rob Goffee

August
Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy
The Wonder Spot, Melissa Bank
An Utterly Impartial History of Britain, John O'Farrell

September
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
CS Lewis: The Boy who Chronicled Narnia, Michael White
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Slam, Nick Horby
Jane Austen: A Life, Claire Tomalin

October
One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Other Queen, Phillippa Gregory

November
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian, Marina Lewycka
The Alchemist, Paolo Coelho
The Hobbit, JRR Tolkein

December
Mansfield Park, Jane Austen
Charlie & the Great Glass Elevator, Roald Dahl
The Tales of Beedle the Bard, JK Rowling
Burmese Days, George Orwell
Coming Up for Air, George Orwell
Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt