Friday, September 9, 2005

Michael T. + Cider = London.

The bit of a long face is due to the fact that my flight was delayed (yet again...). The reason they gave this time was 'weather at the destination airport'. Huh? It was 22C and clear. I'm guessing they just flat out lied. Well, they did flat out lie, what i want to know is the real reason for the delay. Maybe it was due to the harry potter logic that hungarians seem to be fond of, like, 'there is a demon wind from the flat field' or 'do not face east if there is a turtle in your garden.'

After a little prep work at michael's, we swung over to meet the g-man, who was ensconsed at the Radisson downing some whisky with a nice big bucket of ice.

Gene and Michael gettin acquainted at the radisson, as you do.

We met up with Becky and her roomie matt, and hit the streets.

Whenever gene and i get together, our inner 10-year-olds can't be far from the surface. Oh, who am i kidding?...we simply ARE a couple of 10-year-olds, through and through.

Case in point...

Hee hee hee look i'm a mime stuck in a phone booth! Can you tell that i'm trapped in a box? Does it look realistic? How about now?

Matt and Michael had to do their own mime work. Ain't london nice for lettin the lads drain themselves in public? Michael showing us the number times he's done this in the last hour.

Gene and Becky to advantage of this long interval to catch up for the very first time.

Yes, these are grown people sitting along the side of the street. Yes, these evening was rather amusing. Michael managed rather stylistically to have us 'uninvited' to first a club, and later an off-license bar....

Not to worry though, we were all in a good mood and i don't think it mattered much where we were. Eventually the off-licence across the street in soho took pity on us and let us order some more booze.

From there we loaded ourselves into a black cab

Smiled at each other like little girls

Stuck our chins out

And headed over to the 'russian' bar, which was perfectly named except that everyone running the place was turkish.

Buoyed by the fact that he thought he was in a russian bar, and despite the fact that he 'doesn't do well at games with balls', mr. gene gutenberg himself lines up the cue. Save this one for the scrapbooks

Legs and pool.

Vice vice vice.

It was at this point we all were feeling the exhaust and made for homes.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

The next morning, gene packed up his goods and hit the road. Bye mr G! See ya soon stateside.

Gratuitous mirror self portrait. (i am sad gene is leaving shot)

I went back over to Michael's pad, and naturally, it was nap time. Although it looks here like i'm trying to snuff myself out.

While i was out cold, michael snagged the camera...and look what he found! That thunderstorm that supposedly delayed my flight! (right..only 24 hours late)

Michael, his friend ccc, Fred, and i, then made our way over to another friend's place for meal, chat, and dance until heading out that evening.

Todd's place was awesome. Multi-level...

with huge terrace...

And massive cooking area with 6-burner stove

Michael took full advantage and cooked up yummy seared tuna with vegetables

We then whipped out the booze, smokes, and sunnies. CCC was all over these at first...until ...

Natasha gave them a shot....

But hands down they belonged to michael, complete with the matching cardy

WHO WOULDA THOUGHT THEY WOULD LOOK SO GOOD ON HIM?

Todd: you guys wanna see the mad skillz i picked up in the territorial army?

Uhhhh...okay

Damn, skippy...and his bellybutton had more drawing power than most hoovers.

My pair gave me that 'mad scientist huffs fatty' so popular these days

Fred and that wandering left eye kept a close watch on all proceedings. He had to fill his time somehow while taking a month break from the VK.

After imbibing more peaty whisky we had fun with records!

Lots of living room dancing and goofiness

You would be all dancy and goofy too if you got to listen to this badass 33rpm

Soon it was time for game. Todd givin michael his pep talk. 'Michael you are so bringing the A game tonight. Suck it up, bring it, bring it!'

We went to the Family party in hoxton....it wuz rockin

Complete with the usual number of middle age men in short shorts

Todd: Hey michael you told me you were bringin your A game!! Where the hell is it?!?

So he stripped off the cardy

And brought it. Yessir.

I was goin strong, but there were grumblings that we had to make a move on...Becky negotiating with the nice chap in the cap, whose name escapes me right now

We quickly ran over to the rocks, which was fun in a sparsely populated kind of way. (not that this picture gives you any clue)

Gotta give props to the grandma on the streets still gettin her groove on after all these years. Seriously this chick looked 65.

We then wandered to another part of shoreditch high st. and found a top floor flat party.

Yet more terrace action

When something caught our eye across the way. You can see the silhouette of the guy in front? Homeboy was cold chillin with his smoke as the 2 girls behind him in the flat were feverishly hula-hooping for the better part of an hour. I was trying to figure out the story behind the story here, before realizing there was none. Can't keep the young ladies from their hula-hoops ya know?

The view from the rooftop...

Where we had temporarily perched...

Before heading back down. Michael: yo, why does my crotch feel moist? i've taken all my medicine this month...

Ouch...becky the mighty red wine master made an unfortunately targeted delivery

It was frightening enough to give me cider drinking problems. (truth be told, i wasn't sure how to swallow that extra 13.5% they give you in the cans these days)

We then went for the classic floor cam shots. 'Like, we iz bitches, yo'

Floor cam gaining in popularity

And reaches its apex: ccc, becky, sabine, michael, myself, lady in red whose name i didn't get

Let that be a lesson to you, 13.5% extra is something not to be messed with.

Sunday, September 11, 2005

On the way home, though i was feeling a little bit worse for wear from the 13.5% extra, my mood was greatly improved by finding out where to get two months' free car insurance.

Big big ups to michael for everything, you are dog extraordinaire... and thanks a lot Todd for lettin us be goofy at your pad.

See y'all soon