Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Meeting a true celebrity

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful Augustine, who blogs, with Natalie, at Blaugustine. There is even photographic evidence on Natalie's blaug that not only were we both there, but we'd dressed using our special ESP-blogger powers.

Both Augustine and Natalie were quite stunning, and we had wonderful tea and croissants, and lovely conversation, though it can be a little hard to chat there without stopping mid-sentence every few minutes to remark on the amazing alternate realities hanging on the walls / sitting on shelves etc.

In the photos you can see that I am clutching my copies of The Joy of Letting Women Down and Augustine's True Confession ... signed of course. Wonderful. True Confession is an intense read. Somewhere between postsecret and a philosophy course text book. I am normally a fast reader, skimming and scanning at high speed. Now I am arrested by single phrases ... Without images there is no proof that a particular feeling ever happened at all. ... and I'm off into the depths of my own head, chasing connections that divide like amoebas.

You can buy a copy via a link on Blaugustine. Do it. Do it. You won't regret it (unless you are very very busy with important deadlines, in which case maybe you should put it off for a while because this book possesses time-machine properties, and Augustine and Natalie cannot be held fully responsible for any loss of earnings incurred during the reading of this journal).

I left feeling very enthusiastic about my drawing class which was due to begin tonight. Was. Not is. They've f'ing cancelled it (sorry mum). I will try to find another class but they are all full and they won't know til next week whether some people have dropped out. Very disappointing! Luckily I have a couple of good books to occupy my time and attention instead.

Labels: , , , ,

11 Comments:

Blogger Lorianne said...

Hooray on meeting Natalie & Augustine! Is it okay if I admit to being a bit jealous?

Poo on the drawing class cancellation. I guess that means there's a better class out there (somewhere!) waiting for you to find it.

20 September, 2006 12:33  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, Stray, you've made my day, that is such a fantastically spirit-boosting post. I'm so thrilled that you resonated with the True Confession (the one that is not by Saint Augustine).
I'm tempted to start a drawing class, just so you could attend it and I could prove to you that you *can* draw. Might be a bit too far to commute...maybe online, though?

20 September, 2006 14:18  
Blogger Dale said...

I have to register a complaint, though, Stray. I had you firmly in my mind as something in the Wuthering Heights line -- tall, dark, stormy and passionate. Whereas the pictures plainly show you to be more in the Little Prince line -- cheerful, open, and, not to put too fine a point on it, adorable. I have all this cognitive dissonance to deal with, now.

20 September, 2006 18:06  
Blogger Jean said...

I'm so happy that you and Natalie met! And to think of you in her home, where I've been (indeed, in her mirror, where I've been)!

20 September, 2006 19:03  
Blogger Stray said...

Natalie - an online drawing class! How fabulous. My brain immediately sprung into the technicalities ... flash would be perfect as a medium.

Lorianne, I'm sure Augustine would be disappointed if you weren't jealous, and she understands all about jealousy if her true confession is to be believed. Natalie would probably blush :) Your jealousy is warranted though, it was wicked!

Dale - I'm so sorry to be such a source of confusion. I sometimes feel like I should come with some sort of disclaimer ... though I think wuthering heights is pushing it a bit! The whole incongruence of the 30-year-old-woman / 12-year-old-boy issue is never more enjoyable than on the doorstep of a pub, watching the bouncer use both his braincells to attempt to unravel the picture. :) I'm not sure I've been called adorable before!

Jean - yes! I sat next to the lion and thought of you. I suspect a fair few people have been in that mirror ... and Natalie on her birthday (s) of course.

20 September, 2006 19:10  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Late to the party as always but sounds as if your meeting was great, not surprisingly as I know you are one cool person, I thinks that's the phrase of favour:0) and cannot believe Natalie would be anything else but welcoming and enthusiastic in meeting you.
I think the idea of an online drawing class with Natalie as your tutor would be REALLY cool and just think of the crits you would get from Augustine:0)
D-W

21 September, 2006 14:39  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Stray, as I told Jean a while ago, starting an online drawing class is something I really would like to do - when I finish the work on the Gd.Book. I'll have to talk with you about the techy stuff (my Intel Mac can't cope with flash at present).
Every word in Augustine's True Confession is true, jealousy included, so yeah, I get it.
And Dale is right, adorable is the correct adjective to describe you. Don't blush.

21 September, 2006 20:26  
Blogger MB said...

OK, now I'm jealous. Both ways. But delighted for you both!!

21 September, 2006 22:39  
Blogger purplefiona said...

Adorable! Thats the word I've been looking for all this time to describe you :)Great pics and I'm so glad you had a good time
F

21 September, 2006 23:15  
Blogger Brenda Clews said...

I adore you, clearly, and have been thinking of that particular verb for you for some time; adorable, adoration, ha, signed an Adoring Fan. (And envious, you & Nat met!)

22 September, 2006 02:18  
Blogger Stray said...

aw. people say such nice stuff when you send them money by paypal :)

thanks all ... and Brenda, it's natural to be very envious. And you didn't even see the croissants!

27 September, 2006 18:58  

Post a Comment

<< Home