[Image of Humuhumu looking over her shoulder in a white sun hat and green top, a curled-up Telstar and the bloke, all lounging on a red blanket in our back garden.]

This photo gives an entirely false impression of what the last week has largely been like. I've been chronically short on sleep and generally quite stressed. I have to force myself to pick up my camera, but it's worth it to capture these rare relaxed moments so that I can revisit them instead of the others.

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HAHAHA NO RLY.

But look, it's a photoset with both of us in it - very rare, since I'm normally the one wielding the camera.


This is honestly the first time I've been able to tell from photographic evidence that Humuhumu and I are related.

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Blurry image of Humuhumu in her red-and-white polka dot short-sleeve onesie and blue trackie bottoms, sitting on our bed and laughing.

Today was my last day with Humuhumu while I’m on maternity leave before she starts nursery full-time. I tried not to moon around too much. I succeeded some of the time.

It was a beautiful day, so this morning some friends came over to walk along the canal and then stayed for a cup of tea and a chat.



Image of three babies practising their sitting whilst leaning on their mums’ legs.

I gave Humuhumu her lunch and savoured her smiles and grabs at the spoon. Our nearest friends came over and picked us up to go to the Lickey Hills for a walk. We strolled around and enjoyed the sunshine, and then the mums got an ice cream. Each of the babies got to have tastes, but as I was having a chocolate ice lolly, Humuhumu wasn't allowed too much. She loved it and I don’t think it was just because the cold felt good on her sore gums (she’s teething).

The bloke came home a bit early to give her supper while I made ours. I gave Humuhumu her last bottle and then she went to bed to get her rest before the big day tomorrow.




Two images of three mums with their six-month-old babies in slings. Myself and Humuhumu on the end. She is trying to eat her sling. The other two babies are attempting to interact.

oursin gave me 18. If you would like to participate, please comment and give me an upper bound. When I was 18,

I lived in: A flat a few blocks north of the University of Southern California, where I was a sophomore [second year]. It was a stone's throw from the Shrine Auditorium. Yes, that place where they hold the Oscars. I remember being deeply annoyed when security used to try to get residents to take a two-block diversion to get home when the award ceremonies were on. I always refused. I think they were sort of afraid to stop me, because not only did I tell them firmly that I couldn't identify a celebrity if you hit me in the face with one, I was nearly always dressed in black fatigues (I wanted to be Sarah Connor. I still sort of do.) and looked extremely grumpy. Nowadays that would probably get me arrested.

I drove: I didn't have a driving licence. Yes, I lived in California and I didn't have a driving licence. I lived within easy walking distance of campus and I didn't exactly have a lot of money to throw around. USC is a private university, and even with lots of scholarships, my "spare" cash mostly went toward sensible living expenses, among which a car would not have counted.

I was in a relationship with: AHAHAAAAA. I was, shall we say, not the most committed person at 18. I can't honestly remember the number of people I was "in a relationship with", however briefly.

I feared: Slowing down. I wanted to live life in top gear all the time.

I worked at: Being the best possible student. I messed up my second term of freshman year (I actually got a couple of B's for the first time in my life, the horror) and I was determined to make up for it. I also spent much of my free time tutoring other students in chemistry and maths to make money.

I wanted to be: An artist and a scientist.

Last week when we were in Vienna, Humuhumu and I decided to do a spot of flânage. We hopped on the #2 tram from Volkstheater and headed out of the centre of the city. The tram took us past an oddly-shaped mirrored building, below which I’d taken the photo of the dense graffiti by the Danube canal that features in the community icon. I made a mental note of the stop and when we turned around, disembarked there to visit the spot.

Then I remembered that the KunstHausWien was within walking distance and that my cousin had told me of an exhibition of New Yorker Saul Leiter’s photography and painting there. Humuhumu and I found our way to it by dint of my memory and helpful signage. She fell asleep halfway around the exhibit, which allowed me to sit and watch a little of his video biography. I caught the bit where he was talking about why he loved street photography. Here is what he said (may not be verbatim, but is close):

“I like walking, not go anywhere in particular, just to walk. The French have a word for it. I think it’s flâneur or flânage or something like that.”

I thought it was a strange and lovely coincidence.


[Image of a bald baby in a purple snowsuit on her mother's lap, riding the #2 tram in Vienna.]

( Public transport methods bagged )

X-posted to flaneurs on Dreamwidth; my apologies to those for whom this is showing up twice.