Sim Carter: Past Tense Imperfect

I’m taking a virtual walking tour ‘above ground’ on the London Underground. Using  my Tube guide and my fitbit® device, my goal is to walk at least 10,000 steps a day roughly following along the Underground route, reporting back here on Fridays with my findings. Roughly following the Piccadilly Line. This is Day 19. I’m feeling a bit blue to be leaving Chiswick where the Beatles shot scenes from HELP! at the City Barge and  promo videos for Paperback Writer & Rain at Chiswick House   back in the 1960’s . At the time, I was a half-crazy-in-love-with-Paul, pre-pubescent 12 year old tearing my hair out back in Canada. While I’ve grown up—and old— I’d still love to see Sir Paul upclose and personal (we could compare laugh lines). Not to worry,  I’m counting on encountering my favorite Beatle another time on my virtual walk. Because anything can happen on a virtual walk. Like flying first class on Virgin Atlantic with Colin Firth & Daniel Craig for seat ma...

I’m sick to death of writing about myself. I’m sick to death of my writing. It’s one and the same. I can ’ t write fiction. I ’ ve tried. It ’ s just another story about me, supposedly incognito as a brunette instead of a blonde—a bottle blonde, at that.  That ’ s this week ’ s excuse for not carrying on with my story about Derek. But really, do you even know or care who Derek is? Some boyfriend I had when I was twenty? Or was it nineteen? Is there a point? Right now I ’ m feeling like Richard Harris singing McCarthur ’ s Park — MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark All the sweet green icing flowing down Someone left the cake out in the rain I don't think that I can take it 'Cause it took so long to bake it And I'll never have that recipe again Oh, no I  usually relish  disappearing into my girlish headspace, settling  back  into the mushy comfort of memory but I ’ m feeling too old and too cranky to even try. The cosmetics company th...

I’m taking a virtual walking tour ‘above ground’ on the London Underground. Using  my Tube guide and my fitbit® device, my goal is to walk at least 10,000 steps a day roughly following along the Underground route, reporting back here on Fridays with my findings. I'm back on track, following the Piccadilly Line. This is Day 18. Today I ’ m heading out from Boston Manor Station ,  that beautiful example of art deco architecture, taking an inbound stroll along the Piccadilly Line route.  Passing South Ealing my plan is to hit Gunnersby Park in Chiswick, where there’s a lake—do all British parks come with lakes? are there ladies of the lakes too?—a history museum, a ‘small mansion’ and several other ‘historically significant buildings’ including a folly or two.  Follies are those imaginative little structures that don’t do anything except add a magical touch of interest to a garden. From the French for stupidity, a folly suggests some real purpose, bu...

I don ’t know how my son went from being my own teeny tiny beany baby to the smart, sweet, funny, handsome millennial who is just about to turn twenty three. All I did was blink. What the what!  I wrote today’s #ThursdayThrowback piece back when he was in elementary school and I could see time spinning out of control. Published in Childrens’ Magazine, here in L.A.  I had no idea the years would move so fast. What I Like Doing Best is Nothing!   "What I like doing best," said Christopher Robin, "is doing nothing" "How do you do nothing?" asked Pooh after he had wondered for a long time. "Well, it's when people call out at you just as you're going off to do it, 'What are you going to do Christopher Robin?' and you say "Oh nothing' and then you go and do it" "Oh, I see," said Pooh. "This is a nothing sort of thing that we're doing now." "Oh, I see," said Pooh again. "...

Illustrated by acclaimed poster designer Tom Eckersley I’m taking a virtual walking tour ‘above ground’ on the London Underground. Using  my Tube guide and my fitbit® device, my goal is to walk at least 10,000 steps a day roughly following along the Underground route, reporting back here on Fridays with my findings. This is Day 17. Retracing my steps it ’s easy to see that I got off track at Syon House, drawn down to the River Thames and the irresistible pull of seeing the house where I was born in Richmond .  My plan is to head back from Elephant & Castle to the Boston Manor Underground Station in Brentford and carry on from there. I am completely taken by surprise by the design of the station. Built in 1934, the art deco architecture is an unexpected bonus, a harbinger, I hope, of a good day of walking. Image Credit:  ArtDecoBlogspot.com I’ve been curious to see the picturesque narrow boats and the nearby River Brent and the Brentford Lock...

It’s #ThrowbackThursday and I don’t think I could throw it back any further than this,   my earliest memory.  Turkish Delight  There's darkness everywhere, shapeless black all around except for a blur of wavering yellow light in the distance. Something has woken me up. Muffled voices in the darkness; a man's—deep, hushed, whispering. Then another—higher pitched, a lady's? My mother's? I hear my name, "Simone" but I can't make out the rest; just sharp, staccato sounds. A shadow crosses the yellow light, so huge it blocks the brightness, and there's nothing but blackness again. The dark shadow, darker than the darkness, is moving fast, coming closer, heading towards me and I'm too terrified to move or breathe or close my eyes. If I stay perfectly still maybe it won't get me. I watch as the black blur moves towards me, growing larger as it comes closer and closer and just as it reaches under the blanket to scoop me up with its big hands, ...

The Elephant & Castle/Ross Ashmore I’m taking a virtual walking tour ‘above ground’ on the London Underground. Using  my Tube guide and my fitbit® device, my goal is to walk at least 10,000 steps a day roughly following along the Underground route, reporting back here on Fridays with my findings. This is Day 16 This week I’m going to cheat and actually get on the train and take the Underground from Dulwich back to where I first detoured off the Picadilly line. But first, where to catch the tube? At the Elephant & Castle, which has to be one of the most intriguing names for a London neighborhood that I ’ ll encounter as a virtual day-tripper. Not to be outdone by Piccadilly Circus which once upon a time conjured up red & blue striped big top tents and  circus  clowns before I learned this kind of  ‘ circus ’  had nothing to do with bearded ladies and  everything  to do with very busy intersections at roundabouts. While I learn...