Rest in Peace...

This is the part where I cry...

See you at Radio City, my man...

Hannah???

I miss you.
Come home meow please.

Straight up, no rocks...

Hope...

J spotted these in his hood.
Do you like?
I do.

DIVINE!

Sister, Kiki and I got together around six on Friday and didn't part ways until about the same time on Sunday.

Themes: babies, lesbians and fried fish

Highlights: two whole wheat pizzas, three pitchers plus or minus 30 bottles of beer, the Irish bloke I befriended with a dwarf hand (I thought for sure the IRA had cut his fingers off until I realized they had fingernails), nacho stew, pillows, spicy bloody marys and french fries, Duane Reade, sushi with obnoxious Staten Island guy, Dead Silence, weird dreams

Soundtrack: Tesla, Sam Cooke, White Lion, Milli Vanilli, Ann Peebles
Dudes out of town: two

Bucks shot: countless

Turds in the hallway: one, thanks to boots

Dean Popps: one

Time logged on the roof: three hours sunshine iced tea tapes

Androg: me

Pregnant: ? (don't try to read into this. it's not what you think)
These moments surely go down as one of my best NYC weekends to date.
Every second, simply divine.
What's next?

My friend across the sea...

This is Aluana, my only female companionship in South Africa.

A 70-year-old Italian spitfire of a woman.

These are Aluana's five "geriatric dogs."

This is Jemima, the oldest of the crew.
Jemima wears a purple jacket that says "No Tension. I am on Pension."
And yes, that is steak on that plate.
For the dogs, of course.
Jemima is 17 years old and was originally owned by one of Aluana's employees, who was very mean to Jemima.
Aluana offered to watch her at some point and never gave her back.
That was 15 years ago.
She is Aluana's baby.
This is the regal Mister Dobbs.
The story goes that she found him, at a kennel, curled up asleep on top of his deceased cage-mate.
Aluana said this showed that Dobbs had a wonderful personality and spirit.
She took him home on the spot.
This is Piccolino.
He snarls a lot and I'm told he's the meanest of the group.
However, I stole his seat one day in Aluana's car so he was forced to sit on my lap.
Tough guy licked my hand all the way to the park.
He was a gift to Aluana from her employees when he was so small he could fit in her palm.
She refused him and refused him but somehow, all these years later, she still has him.
Funny the way that works.
This is Diana (pronounced DEE AH NAH).
She was given to Aluana by an acquaintance that could no longer care for her.
If you ever happen to get in a car with Diana, beware.
She will bark ALL the way to your destination, piercingly loud, excited barks.
She is the biggest of the group.
And this is Saba.
A badly mistreated dog with a heart of gold.
Rescued by Aluana from a shelter.
She puts her ears back a lot, but she's very, very sweet.These dogs absolutely ADORE Aluana.
On walks, if they get ahead, they turn back often to check on her.
When she leaves without them, they stand in a row and watch her go as she waves and toots the horn.
She says "This car? For my dogs."
Remember. No tension. She's on pension.

Cats of the cape...

I give you Miafrica! A dead ringer for my Mia in Michigan, save for the darker chin.

Miafrica lives at a bird sanctuary, and if you have the pleasure of knowing Mia, you would find the similarities uncanny...

And this is Diesel, Alex's Greenpoint neighbor who comes inside and talks a lot and then bores quickly and leaves.

But not before he shows off and climbs a tree...

And these are some random cat-shots:

This one lives at a winery and reminds me of the Marble Cake Cat, which was one of my favorite books when I was young.

And Tony's long lost baby cousin! Also a neighbor to Alex, and a handsome one at that.

This post is for all my cat-obsessed pals.

You know who you are.

Meow.

Don't forget to click on photos to enlarge them!

The Three Explorers...

If I were to give a definition for this trip, this photo would be it.

Today is our last full day here, and we will be spending it in Franschhoek, wetting our palettes with wine.

We have packed a picnic.

And the sun is shining!

More from the Cape viewfinder...

...

Out of touch we have been.

Internet access again!

Have I mentioned yet that it is cold here? Bone-chilling, wind-ripping cold.

I am frozen to my core from the second my toes slide out from under the covers.

So I have taken some of the best baths ever. With Jameson. On the rocks.

Sunny one second, the next pouring rain.

Pouring so hard and so loud your ears ring.

And it has been hailing.

This weather is apparently somewhat freakish, and more than once global warming has been mentioned.

Whales breaching to the right, flowers screaming with color to the left.

And the wineries here are just incredible. They have been around for hundreds of years and sprawl through what have to be some of the most breathtaking landscapes on the planet.

They have souls, and you feel it.

Not unlike New Orleans.

It's beautiful.

And I am so thoughtful at times I can't do anything but stare.

It's quite hard to pull it all off in words.

Most nights I fall asleep so hard I have a hell of a time waking up.

And I dream of home and family like I have never dreamed before.

Almost lucid.

We have been eating like kings, our own cooking (mostly Keith).

And we have been grilling.

Today, Aluana took us mushrooming in the forest.

I think photos say it best, although I'm not even sure they do it all justice...