Your attention, please

This message is for awesome boy-child Nikolas, who today turns the fabled age of nine. (Ye gods, the time it does fly, comrades.) So, Nik, this one's for you!

*clears throat*
*pitch pipe*

Happy birthday to yooouuuu...
Happy birthday to yooouuuu...
Happy birthday, dear Nikolaaaaaas...
Happy birrrrthdayyyy tooooOOOoooOOOO*hack*cough*spit*

Yes, well. Have a great one, m'lad. May this year bring you the wonder that you seek. *hugs*

*sings like Peggy Lee* That's why that l'oeil is a trompe....

Meet John Pugh. To be more precise, meet a few of his public murals:





His website is here. Amazing stuff.

Honestly, the Marmite was bad enough

Lest you think I'm the only resident of this apartment who lacks a self-preservation instinct:

Me: [reading] Remind me, what's a Bovril sandwich?
rafaela: That's a sandwich made with Bovril.
Me: [long pause] Okay, let's try this again: what's Bovril?
rafaela: [shrugs] I dunno.

Suffice it to say that punishments commenced, largely noogie-based. And yes, we have reminded ourselves what exactly Bovril is, and um...England, I'm sorry to inform you of this, but we are not impressed. (Then again, I live in the country that gave the world the Twinkie, so I can't exactly take the moral high ground here.)