Erika and I are closing on our first house tomorrow! We went by for a 'walk thru' today. It was built in 1945. Wood floors are under the carpet that we'll rip up in the next few days. And we're going to knock out a wall to open up the kitchen. We went by Home Depot this evening and felt like real home owners. Here's some pics of the house:
When it rains, it pours... money. Or at least that's what you'd think with the way we've been buying crap lately. Well, our cat was free. Catsy Cline. She's really great. I'm still not a cat person, but get Catsy around you and I promise you'll love her.
This week we've been firming up plans on the house that we bought last week. First house purchase for us. It's really great. We're both really excited. It was built in 1945 and it sits on a really neat corner in a really cute neighborhood called Woodbine. Our House will be ready towards the beginning of September. (We're going to redo the kitchen and take up the carpet at the end of August)
AND! we bought a scooter yesterday! (Thanks G.W.Bush, officially stimulated)
I'm going to paint it myself. I've been reading about spray painting motorcycles and such. You can actually do a really good job if you're cafeful and take your time.
We've been here a few days now. It's been really fun. We all four like it. A lot. Only played one gig so far. At a place called the Knotting Hill Arts Club. The way they do it here, is that they have club nights. So, the venue is called Knotting Hill Arts Club, and the club night is called Yo Yo. It's a very trendy London club night apparently. Lily Allen hung out there for a while because she was dating the dude that put on the club night, and that's when it became really popular. Anyways, was a pretty cool feeling place, but we actually didn't do that great. I don't know, we just didn't do our thing. But, there was this really neat picture that came out of it. They had projectors everywhere, shining on all the walls, and they had the word 'yo' and mouths. and, in this fine picture, they're all over me.
I gotta go because this computer's about to die. But, looking forward to tonight. We're playing at the Barfly in Camden which should be a lot more our scene.
Here's a pub we went to last night that was 'rebuilt' in 1667. mmmmmmmm
And here's DJ and Kevin on the Bridge of the Future outside the wonderful TATE Modern Museum.
So, our time here is coming to a close. It's ended up being a very productive and fun trip. Yesterday we went to the Natural History museum where there was a giant fake blue whale. I especially posted this pic for my wife because it's probably her favorite mammal of all.
And, just for all you doubters out there, here's proof that I really am in London. That's me standing very straight, just like the London Bridge in the background.
So, you walk a ton in this town if you go anywhere. We went to the Camden Market the other day. It's a massive area filled with rows and halls and rooms and tents and anything you can think of that could possibly house stuff to purchase. Okay, that was a horrible way to describe that. Basically it's a big market of mostly clothes that you can buy to make your life just a little bit better.
After that we headed up to Primrose Hill which we were told is the highest point in London and from which you can see all of London. So, yes, we headed that way, but on the journey we stopped off at the classiest little pub I think I'd been to yet. Here's a shot of the garden out back where we drank our half pints of Leffe. (it's beautiful if you can't tell.)
And then we made it up to Primrose Hill. Absolutely so pleasant. Just laid there in the sun, and the breeze was all blowing and stuff. soooooooooo nice. one of those times you wish you could bottle up and save (and sell!)
Liam's lil girls were up in the studio the other day being extremely bored while we just kept working on the same ol' part of the same ol' song over and over. Anyways, they tried to find anything at all exciting to occupy themselves while they waited for DJ and I to go down and read them their bedtime stories. Josie and DJ here pickin' a tune...
and... Here's a video of DJ cutting a rug, or a roof rather.
Welp, things are going good here. DJ and I have been mostly spending our days hanging around Liam's house working on our songs. It's been more a closed-up-in-the-house London trip than I'm used to, but we have gotten out some:
Liam's taken us to all the pubs in his neighborhood that he can think of. It's crazy, there are so many pubs here in the neighborhoods, within walking distance. They're like fire-hydrants in our neighborhoods. And they serve a similar purpose, to snuff out the harshness of our lives. Anyways, here's one called The Rosemary Branch, and We walked there on one of the few sunny moments we've had here so far...
After that, DJ and I made our way downtown, or to the city center, where all the action takes place, for instance a giant battle ship backed by the famous London Bridge...
Here's DJ standing by a big scary London monster...
And, imagine an 8 story tall cross section of a person's head. What do you see inside? does it look like this?
That and several other paintings are up on the TATE modern art museum at the moment. It's pretty phenomenal. We spent a couple wonderful hours wondering around in the TATE. It's probably my favorite thing to do here in London. My other favorite thing to do is to go down to the Borough Market and get a chorizo sandwich. We tried to do that on Saturday, but got there about 30 minutes after they started closing down. It was pretty depressing. We got to see only the potential of terrific experience. But today, we're going to give it another shot. And I think the potential will be realized.
