Marylebone High Street

1. Lost by Annie Lennox. A truly haunting song, I will never forget how it was used in The Valley of Elah. I cried my eyes out on the Virgin flight... so moving.

2. Stripped white pine floors. I am going to copy it.

3. Black cabs when you want them most.

And another piece of earth shattering news

A teenager draws a penis on his parents' roof in order to attract attention on Google Earth. Apparently it was there for a whole year before Mum and Dad found out.

I do not know why I find this funny but I just do.

Cloris Leachman has Epic Sex with Gene Hackman

I love unexpected celebrity pairings. And I love it when older women let rip about things they did when they were wild and free.

Cloris Leachman has revealed in her autobiography that she once had "epic sex" with Gene Hackman. Gene Hackman!!

"[S]he recalls bumping into Gene Hackman while both were shooting movies in San Francisco in the 1970s and dining with him at their hotel.

"As we moved into the main course, it was as if a cosmic wind enveloped us. Some giant space magnet was pulling us together," Leachman writes. "We didn't finish the meal. We went upstairs, flew into bed and made love. It was epic. And the next morning, Gene went back to his film and I went back to mine. I haven't seen Gene since that night, but I remember well the feisty lad he was."

The Cosmic Wind. The best One Night Stands should be like that - Strangers in the Night, Ships Passing Through, etc etc. Good on Cloris. I bet Gene in his heyday was a marvellous lover.

AFL - In A League of Its Own

I love this commercial. God, it makes me so nostalgic for Melbourne and Aussie Rules.

Twitter

1. Think I have figured out Twitter. Not sure whether I will use it much, I find keeping this blog up to date challenging enough as it is!!

2. M stayed last night. It was good to see him, have not had 1-2-1 time with my bro for a while.

3. Scones and jam and cream. 'Nuff said.

The smell of roast chicken

1. Roast Chicken - the smell from my oven is scrumptious.

2. Sunny warm weather.

3. Mum has bought me my birthday presents early - I accidentally opened them. Officially I cannot confess what those gifts are until the great day itself :-)

Culcha Vulture

This week's cultural highlights included:-

1. England People Very Nice at the National Theatre. The play has garnered a lot of criticism because of its language and perceived racial stereotypes. The play was an overview of the last 400 years of immigration to Great Britain. The thing is, no nationality or religion comes out of the play looking good, none of them! I thought it was great and am very glad I saw it.

2. Enjoy! by Alan Bennett starring Alison Steadman. I thought the play was weird, to be honest, although there were moments of mirth. I am not a signed up member of the Alison Steadman fan club - she murdered Mrs Bennett and my view is she overacts. Alison did not redeem herself in my eyes on this occasion but hey ho, a lot of it was probably down to the play which WAS NOT GOOD.

3. Just finished my first Georges Simenon novel. Not sure I will try another but it was good to dip my toe into the water.

Looking for a New House

1. The builders have come around to quote on the works for my current place.

2. I have seen 3 houses - see houses!! - in the past 2 days. I am officially on the search. Beating procrastination is the best thing ever.

3. I love the freedom of the scooter. This afternoon is the first really warm day since I bought it. Just wonderful being outside in the fresh air, no matter how smoggy ;-))

Scooter Time!

Wow, it has been over a week since I wrote any of my 3BTs. However, the wait is worth it, because I have some good ones:-

1. I passed my CBT and picked up the brand new scooter yesterday! Today I spent cruising around in the spring sunshine. Could not exactly map my way to work thanks to the St Patricks Day parade. No matter... it is a beautiful day and the whole world seems to be promenading around London.

2. L stuck up for me in front of T and K. I think things are going to change. I feel I have more security now.

3. Saw A and R for dinner on Thursday night. Great to see them both, hope A's firm is a real success. So brave!

No to Bike Parking Charges in Westminster

I am going on 31 March

Smithy's Team Talk

Utter brilliance - he said what we all think!!

Little Buddha

Finally got to watch Little Buddha last night, 18 months after returning from Tibet. I don't why it took so long for this to arrive in the mail, but I am glad it did. Reminded me a lot of my trip. And Keanu as Buddha was quite good!

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

I'm very much looking forward to seeing this movie.

Tatiana del Toro

I have been enjoying American Idol on ITV2, perfect television to watch first thing on a weekend morning over breakfast.

I am very glad that Tatiana Del Toro's 15 minutes of fame came to an end. I was genuinely concerned that the judges would put her through but they did not - thank God.

I find American Idol interesting, mainly because it shows the cultural differences between young Americans and young Europeans. The song choices are always interesting - a 17 year old English girl would never choose Whitney Houston or ABBA to sing. No, she would be choosing to sing Pink, Lady Ga Ga or Katy Perry. Sometimes American youth seems so old. But maybe it is not them, perhaps it is the producers who are seeking a more middle of the road approach? Not sure, either way, X Factor is much more contemporary and current.

Besides, the inadvertent blow job joke made by Ryan Seacrest made my day. I wonder how many complaints they had over that one? Simon Cowell yelling "Watershed!" topped it off.

Cannot believe I have just posted about American Idol.

Cultural 3BTs

Goodness Gracious Me! Quite a while since I recorded an entry here but man, I have been busy. So, here are listed three "cultural" highlights of the last week:-

1. Watching Manchester United defeat Tottenham in the Carling Cup final at Wembley. Too bad the London team did not win!

2. Bear Near Me at the Donmar Warehouse. Much much better than West End Whingers thought it was!

3. Last but not least, the utterly tremendous Tina Turner at the O2. My God, the woman was amazing!!!!! Loved the dancers, loved her, loved the song, loved the box, loved it all!!