I’ve decided to not number this one and to not put it in any particular order. So here is the list, with a few explanations.

• Paris
• Seeing Judah
• The absolutely amazing, oh so delicious, really almost to die for food.
• The desserts (they are not in the food category because it is DESSERT) – especially the chocolate.
• The metro (yes it was dirty but oh what a luxury, and it was kind of nice that they let the homeless people sleep in them even when they are closed)
• The grocery shopping (on the walk home from the metro you could do all of your grocery shopping for the evening meal without going out of your way even a little bit and it would be fresh and tasty)
• Fresh fruit (EVERYWHERE) – I need to eat more fruit
• The Eiffel Tower (I know that it is just a nicely structured pile of pick up sticks but it is fabulous in a deep down in my gut kind of way. That may explain why we visited it three times while we were there.)
• The language
• The cafe and hot chocolate
• The cafes on every corner (or so it seemed)
• The architecture (It was wonderful when I looked up from the poop laden sidewalk)
• The variety of people (I loved to sit in the cafe and watch them)
• The shopping (I didn’t do very much at all but I so could have)
• The museums (there were so many and we only visited two but they were beautiful, even if the exhibits at the Pompidou were really kind of yuck and mean spirited)
• The colors on the buildings
• The doors
• Judah’s shutters and windows
• The locks on the bridge
• The wooden boats
• The parks instead of yards

I am sure that there are so many more things that I enjoyed and there were so many things that we didn’t do and could have / should have done but we were tired at the end of each day (and tired at the beginning of some days) and so we did we what did and loved it.

While I am probably not going to post anymore text about Paris I did make several little videos and took pictures of two different collections that I may put on here if anyone is interested.

From least bothersome to most:

10. It was cold. (Usually between 30 and 40 degrees but the wind was killer.)

9. Things were far more expensive. (Our money isn’t worth as much and things were just more.)

8. Walking every where… in the cold. (Averaged about 6 miles a day according to Chris’s pedometer.)

7. Not ever seeming to have enough time. (When it was dark is was just too cold to do anything and we were exhausted by then anyways.)

6. Not having clean clothes for several days. (Stupid airlines. Thank goodness we packed a change of clothes.)

5. The wet streaks all over the sidewalks that had to be avoided because they were urine from some kind of animal. (Two legged and four legged)

4. The spit all over the sidewalks. (Seemed like everybody had to spit there.)

3. The poop all over the sidewalks. (Yuck! They didn’t have to grass to go on so they just pooped on the sidewalk and the owners just kept walking. Never even thought to pick it up, I’m sure.)

2. Not being able to look up as I walked because of 3-5. (I wanted to look at the buildings. Oh the buildings. That’s for the next e-mail. Unfortunately I forgot to always look down during one outing and j’ai marché dan la merde.)

1. The trip to Paris. (Especially Amsterdam – they confiscated my knitting needles with a work in progress on them but not the other two pairs that were in their package in the very same bag that they dug around in to take out the pair they took away from me. Now I have to wait until I can go to Austin and buy another pair or order them online. Oh! and the stupid drunk guy who happened to also be on our flight home from Amsterdam- but far more sober.)

I am still in Paris. When I get home I will post two entries about Paris: things I love about Paris and things I hate about Paris. I’m not sure which will be first nor which will be longer.

My french is good enough to get by but I have lost so much of what I learned. I’ve briefly considered taking another class or two to freshen up when we get back but I don’t think I will do that.

Tonight is our last night at Judah’s apartment. Tomorrow we are just going to wander the city and go back to the Eiffel Tower a third time. Then we are staying in a hotel near the airport.

I am not happy about going home. Not because I want to stay in Paris but because I REALLY do not want to get on that airplane. It was AWFUL! It will take a long time to get over it or a lot of sedatives for me go on another VERY long airplane flight after this trip. I really hope that someone is working on teleportation.

If you’d like details of the trip, it’s best if you check Chris’s blog. He has posted details and will put up photos soon. He has taken most of the photos while here. I’ve only taken pictures of doors and the occasional monument so that Chris is in the picture. I did try taking a few instant pictures while at the Louvre but they didn’t turn out well. You’ll have to take my word for it when I say that the black, instant pictures are of the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory. The Venus de Milo came out well enough though. My favorite instant picture so far is of the Arc de Triomph.

Here is a teaser picture. I took this one with the Exilim.

So we are getting ready and getting nervous. Well, I am getting nervous. Chris is probably nervous too but mostly he is just focused on details. I wish that I could do that.

I did buy this though. Awesome bag on clearance at Dillard’s for $14.50. I didn’t know Dillard’s could sell anything for $14.50. Love it! It will be my personal bag to go with my carry-on. We were going to just take one carry-on each and not check any bags but the stress was killing me. Ok, it wasn’t terrible stress. I just didn’t like thinking about how to take the very least and still be happy with what I took. I also didn’t relish clothes shopping in Paris, where I am convinced that everything female is a size 5 or less. Not my size since… forever.

We’ve also put a few estate things in writing, just in case. Basically everything is to be sold except pictures, journals, handmade things, heirlooms. The money is to be split evenly and Tully goes to April. Tempest’s fate is less certain. He’d probably kill anyone who tried to touch him. He’s pretty much a two person cat. He’s also 15 and VERY set in his ways. Don’t take it personally. He’s mean to us too, sometimes.

It snowed here today. Snowed a lot… for here. Did you know that snow is cold? Especially if you touch it? I know, who would of thought? But it is. I have a new found respect for those people who make things out of snow with their hands. I made the littlest of snowmen today and that was all I could muster without very uncomfortableness occurring in my hands. What a wimp!

Anyways… it snowed here today. Big, happy, fluffy flakes. It was pretty.

It really isn’t that bad but they closed school early today and we aren’t starting until 10 tomorrow. So I’m not complaining. My students have been hardly tolerable of late so home time is nice.

Tully didn’t really like the snow. Especially when her booty got close to it.