You know you're single and childless when . . .

You go to the grocery store and come home with the following:

• crab legs
• sushi
• ice
• guacamole
• pound cake
• fancy olives and cheese from the olive bar
• ice cream
• grapes

I need the following things ASAP

• A way to eliminate all political posts from my Facebook feed. 
• The willpower to walk into a cupcake store and buy just one cupcake.
• Someone to help me decorate my apartment without spending any money.
• More grapes.

thoughts and an update

• Remember my client that has cancer?  Well, we had a check-up with the surgeon yesterday to and . . . the tumor is gone!  Whoohoo!  We still have to do a CT scan to make sure it didn't spread, but thank the Lord, I think we're going to be ok!
• The surgeon we saw is a colon-rectal specialist.  How do you decide you want to spend your day poking, prodding and looking at people's butt holes?  I mean, seriously, he had to suction away poo before he could fully examine the tumor.  What kind of person wants to spend their day doing things like that?  In case you were wondering, he was definitely a little weird.  And he flat out lied to us.  My client was supposed to be sedated for the exam, but when we got there they said they couldn't do that.  The PA said the notes from the referring doctor said we would need sedation, but the PA didn't know where the miscommunication came from since they're not equipped to do that in the office.  Fine, whatever, mistakes and miscommunications happen, not a big deal.  I didn't appreciate it, though, that when the surgeon came in he totally pawned it off on the first doctor and said yeah, so and so didn't tell us she would need sedation.  Oh really?  That's funny, because your PA already told us it was in the notes that he did.  It's not even a big deal, but don't blame it on someone else, just say sorry about the miscommunication, let's see what we can do to make this easier without the sedation.  
• My poor dog, Lizzie, tore her ACL and is having surgery on Monday.  When my dad called to tell me about it I though he was going to say they were going to put her down and I immediately started crying and getting all dramatic because if they have to put Lizzie down, then it'll only be a matter of time before Darcy goes because because he'll be so lonely and he'll die of a broken heart and then we'll have two dead dogs.  Fortunately my dad had already decided to pay for the surgery and my sanity and the lives of our two dogs are safe again.  
• I hate it when I come to the last of an author's books.  When I find an author I really like I usually go read all of their books and get all obsessive about it, so it really sucks when there are no more new books.
• Why is it that books at the DI in Provo are so much more expensive than anywhere else?  The books that sell for one or two dollars at the DI closest to me are four and six dollars at the DI in Provo. 
• As I've been sitting here writing this, the tv show I was watching ended and Saved By the Bell came on.  I can't bring myself to change the channel.

mi familia

It seems like most of the time when I blog it's because I'm irritated about something, so I thought I'd do a little something different this time and write about the one thing that always makes me happy . . . my family.  I wish I had great pictures to illustrate this, but sadly I do not. 

• Papa-My dad is the smartest person I know.  He's my hero and my rock.  I think every good decision I have ever made has probably been because of his advice.  My biggest fear in life is something happening to him.  He had an aortic dissection and almost died in 2001 and sitting in the hospital that night, not knowing whether or not he would live, was the worst night of my life.  He has a great sarcastic sense of humor and I love it when he mocks the gun-toting right-wingers. 
• Mamacita-My mom and I have definitely had our rough patches (such as those horrible teenage years), but now I just love spending time with her.  At some point it finally clicked that she's not just my mom, but is an actual person.  That sounds weird and stupid, I know, but growing up you just think of your mom as mom, not as someone with their own identity and who has had their own life experiences.  And when it comes to life experiences, she has many and keeps adding to the list because she has the energy of a teenager and never stops.  On family vacations she is up for anything and everything.  The other day she mentioned how inadequate she felt as a mother compared to someone else and it stopped me in my tracks.  She definitely isn't the typical Utah Valley mother who sews, cooks, cans, crafts and bakes homemade bread, but to me she's much better.  She is educated.  She is cultured.  She is open-minded and she stands up for what she believes in. 
• Matthew-My older brother has always been a great example to me.  He has worked hard at everything he has done and has always been very driven.  Basically we're exact opposites!  I think the thing that I appreciate the most about Matthew is the example he has been of how a man should be.  He is an awesome father, he provides for and takes care of his family, and he has always shown respect for the women in his life.  Between him and my dad it's no wonder I'm single-no guy can ever live up to these two!
• Melissa-Matthew's wife, Melissa, is another person I love to hang out with.  We didn't get off on the best foot initially, but now I just think the world of her.  She's an amazing mother and a beautiful person, inside and out.  She's also a great cook and has a really great fashion sense.  If I didn't love her so much I'd have to hate her!  In spite of being all around fabulous, she's also a genuinely nice and caring person. 
• The kiddos-I would go into detail about how incredible my two nieces and nephew are, but there aren't enough words in the English language to describe them.  I love them to bits!
• Mark-Anyone who has met my little brother understands that to know Mark is to love him.  He's just plain fun to be around and I don't know that I've ever heard him say anything mean about anyone.  I love that he is always in a good mood and extremely positive.  He takes whatever life throws at him and makes the best out of it.  He's the kind of person that makes the day better when he walks into the room.  I'm pretty sure the world could be coming to an end, but if he walked into the room, everyone would be like "Yay, Mark's here!"  

So that's my family in a nutshell.  I kinda like 'em!

Why I am a horrible person

• I'm discovering more and more of what I can't stand about potential suitors.  One thing that is driving me crazy is when a guy constantly thanks me for letting him get to know me and for talking to him.  Once or twice is polite.  Fifty times means you need to have some confidence in yourself and realize you're worth talking to.  The fact that you have to constantly thank me makes me think there's something wrong with you and that you're an outcast whom nobody normally wants to talk to.  Ugh, gratitude can just be so irritating sometimes!
• I don't know why, but somehow I seem to end up with guys whose ex-wives turned out to be lesbians.  (This has nothing to do with me being a horrible person, it's just something I've been pondering.)
• I like to buy bags of ice at the gas station instead of continually refilling the ice cube trays.  No, this doesn't make me horrible, but it does make me lazy. 

on a lighter note

• A former co-worker just turned up in my eHarmony matches.  Weird!
• Are we 100% sure that you can't get pregnant just from thinking dirty thoughts?  I swear I'm having pregnancy cravings. I can't stop eating grapes.  I had to make a special trip to the store today just to get two more bags of grapes.  I've already eaten one of them.  It's ridiculous!
• Maybe the grapes are why I've had crazy dreams the last few nights.  First I had a dream that a crazy person was attacking me, then I dreamed that my dad died, then I was an assassin and I had to cut into little twin boys to collect their blood for some big plot.  I'm going to choose to believe that it's the grapes and not that I'm going insane.
• My dad went to Peru last month and brought me back two paintings for my collection of original artwork.  I really like saying that I have an original artwork collection.  I feel very fancy.  Unfortunately, none of my paintings are framed so I can't do anything with them yet.  Oh well, such is the life of an art collector.  ;)

bullet points

• I spent an entire day last week watching a marathon of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.  I am so ashamed.
• Has anyone been watching Honey Boo Boo?  Apparently it is rubbing off on me, as I just bought a huge barrel of cheese balls.  I had to make sure no one was around when I took it from the car into my apartment.  I was like a white trash ninja.
• Have I mentioned before that I love spending other people's money?  I spent $970 at ShopKo tonight.  It doesn't even matter that I don't get to keep the stuff, it's just the thrill of picking things out and buying them.
• Lorri's coming to visit from Wyoming tonight.  Yay!
• Last weekend was great.  It was fun catching up with friends, hanging out at the farm and seeing my old clients.  
• I also had a couple of epiphanies while there.  I'm not going to go into what led to them, but I feel like the door is now closed on me ever moving back to Wyoming, and I'm ok with that.  I also realized that when it comes to my love life, I'm not willing to settle just so I can be with someone. 
• I've been reading obsessively lately.  I can't get enough of Harlan Coben and Lee Child books.  I'm seriously going through one book every day and a half or so. 

a quickie

I'm about to head up to Wyoming for a quick weekend vacation.  I can't wait to get out of the haze and heat of Utah!  My old roommate, Meagan, will be in town so I'm going to hang out at her family's farm/ranch and catch up with all my old friends up there.  I'm also going to go see my old clients!!!  I can't wait to see them!  It's been way too long since I've gotten my Jane and Connie hugs. 

I have to say . . . I really miss Wyoming sometimes.  I think maybe I'll end up back there someday.  Probably not in the very near future, but definitely someday.  I think it'll always feel like home there.  It has since the first time I went up there in 2005. 

Anyway . . . enough rambling.  I should probably stop watching Hallmark movies and finish packing now.

Things I'm pondering

• I'm feeling antsy again.  I think I need a hobby.  I don't really do anything crafty.  I like to cook, but don't have anyone to cook for or the money to buy any fancy ingredients.  Maybe I should take a community class or something.  
• I really need to find a way to get my staff to (for lack of a better way to say it) give a shit.  We're a not for profit, so what we can pay them per hour is based on what the government will pay, which means not much.  How do I motivate people to do a good job when they don't make much money?  I keep thinking they must care at least a little bit considering they could probably make more money at McDonald's, but I know that when I'm not there, most of them sit around and do nothing.  
• I think I might be emotionally unavailable.
• I keep thinking that maybe I should go back to school, but I think it's just because I'm bored.
• I'm finding it difficult to bond with my clients here like I did with my clients in Wyoming.  I feel like I need to find a way to form better relationships with them.  Until I do, I don't think I'm giving them the best care that I'm capable of. 

So . . . anyone have any suggestions?

latest obsessions

• Awkward.
• Hallmark Movie Channel
• Olympic drama
• middle-aged lesbians 
• Fourth-Place Medal
• fortune cookies
• reading books actually printed on paper

goings on

The day before I left for Paris I signed a lease on a new apartment, so the time since I got back has been spent moving.  Always so much fun!  This is the fourth time I've moved now in the last two years and I always say I will get rid of lots of books, but I still somehow end up with about 50 heavy book boxes.  I just need to get rid of stuff in general.  Oh well, hopefully I will be in this place for a while and I won't have to worry about moving any time soon.  Here are my thoughts on being in my own place again:

• Other than to go to work, I haven't worn clothes for days.  I've missed walking around in just undies!  It really saves on the electric bill too-I rarely have to turn the air on. 
• Cooking for one person sucks.  I can't do it.  I've been eating lots of frozen food.
• It doesn't help that my kitchen is still not fully unpacked.  I would be a lot more willing to cook if I knew where things were.
• I had house guests last week.  This is one of the main reasons I wanted a two bedroom place.  It was so much fun having people over to stay.  Of course it meant I had to put all the unpacked boxes in my bedroom while they were here, but no worries, they're all moved back into the spare bedroom now.  I'm working on them a little bit at a time.
• I have no decorations up yet-no pictures on the walls, no knick knacks on the bookcases, etc.  All in good time.  I need someone to help put pictures up-any volunteers?
• I love the location.  Everything is convenient and nearby, including work.  My commute is now 10-15 minutes.  
• This place has tons of closet space!  What's sad is that I'll probably be able to fill it up.  I really, really need to get rid of stuff! 

Paris Summary

Favorite things:

• Marie-Antoinette's English peasant village at Versailles
• the Louvre
• the Musee D'Orsay
• L'Orangerie
• fresh baguettes every morning

Least favorite things:

• Most of Versailles
• the crypt at Notre Dame
• the price of everything
• not speaking the language
• feeling like a schlub next to all of the impeccably dressed Parisians 

Favorite foods:

• baguettes, obviously
• these pastries that had a waffle cone-like shell, then a custard inside, and were topped with fresh raspberries

Least favorite food:

• A quiche my dad bought the last morning that had fish in it.  I don't mind fish, but this was gross and I threw it up.

Most overrated:

• Champs Elysees
• the Mona Lisa

Most underrated:

• The kindness of the French people

Paris Day 7

Our last day in Paris we all went our separate ways to try to fit in the last couple of things we each wanted to see.  My dad and I went to L'Orangerie first, which is a smaller art museum that has some amazing works of art.  My favorite part was two oval rooms that were completely lined with Monet's Nympheas panels (part of his water lily paintings).  It was pretty awe-inspiring.  There were also works by Cezanne, Renoir, Modigliani and many others.  It wasn't very crowded and the size of the museum was just right; I didn't feel rushed to see everything and it wasn't overwhelming.

We then walked through the Tuileries Gardens and went back to the Louvre for a few more hours.  We split up there so that my dad could take many more hundreds of pictures (I think his total for the day was over 700).  I managed to fit in everything I hadn't seen before-the Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern sections.  I also checked out Napoleon's apartments and the decorative arts section, then made my way to the gift shop.  There are actually several gift shops at the Louvre, and they all line a large hallway, at the end of which is the inverted pyramid you may remember from the end of The Da Vinci Code.  Was I perhaps in the presence of the remains of Mary Magdalene?  Hmmm . . .

Everyone met up after that for lunch and then my dad went back to the Louvre to take even more pictures, while the rest of us went to the Centre Georges Pompidou.  It's this really neat building that is kind of inside out.  There are visible pipes everywhere, both inside and out, that are color coded for water, electrical wires, etc. and there's a glass-enclosed escalator on the outside of the building that was cool to ride, but unbelievably hot inside.  The Centre also houses a large modern art museum.  They have a section that they redo every two years with new art and artists and then a permanent collection as well.  I'm not a huge modern art fan, but there were many great paintings there, including the Chagall painting that was in Notting Hill. 

I then went to a grocery store to get some fun treats to bring home with me (best place to get gifts to bring home to people, in my opinion) and then went back to the condo.  I messed up my right foot somehow during this trip and I didn't think I could stand any more walking around.  Even cutting the day a little bit short, it was still a great ending to a great trip.

Paris Day 6

Today we got up early and went to Versailles.  I wasn't overly impressed.  Well, I was impressed by the size of it-it really is huge, but overall, it was probably one of my least favorite sites that we've been to.  The Palace was huge, but we were only able to go to a small portion of it and I thought the insides of the Royal Palace in Madrid were far more impressive than at Versailles.  The famous Hall of Mirrors was just o.k.  All in all, I wasn't a huge fan.  It did, however, contain one of my favorite little areas of the whole trip-Marie-Antoinette's little peasant farm village.  That tiny area was great-cute, little buildings with thatched roofs, a small lake with fish, very impressive vegetable gardens, and even some animals.  If I had my pick of the actual Palace of Versailles, the Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon or the peasant village, I would most definitely choose to live in the peasant village.  Royalty, I am not!

If you're in Paris and want to go to Versailles, I would recommend that you go earlier in your trip rather than later.  There is a ton of walking (and I have several large blisters on my feet from walking around yesterday), both to get to the actual entrance of the Palace from the metro stop, not a ton inside the building, but then tons more on the grounds.  We rented bikes to ride around the grounds, which was the best idea ever, but to get to where you can even ride bikes, there's a pretty long walk (which is uphill on the way back, right when you're the most tired).  Riding around the grounds was definitely fun, though.  I haven't been on a bike in years and it took me a minute to get used to it, but it was well worth it.  It wasn't hugely expensive either and once you get out there on the grounds, there aren't many people around.  Btw, I keep saying grounds, but technically I believe they are gardens.  I refuse to say gardens, though, because it's more like a forest.  There's a small area with actual flowers, but the rest is pools and trees and grass. 

Also, make sure that you're prepared for massive amounts of people.  We didn't go on either of the two busiest days of the week, but it was still insane-wall to wall people inside the Palace.  Obviously, there are less outside, but if you walk around where it's shady (which you definitely should because it's really hot out there-side note--don't wear a black t-shirt, bring a hat and sunglasses), it's a little bit more crowded. 

We headed back to the condo in the late afternoon and I am thoroughly exhausted.  Versailles is definitely a day trip, not just an afternoon or morning thing.  I stopped for pastries again on the way home-I have to get my fill while I can!!!  Tomorrow is our last day.  I'm not sure what the plan is-I still want to go back to the Louvre and also to L'Orangerie.  I definitely won't be doing much walking around, though-my feet feel like they're on fire.  One of the blisters goes up between my toes and that one is the worst.  Sad face.

Paris Day 5

Yesterday we spent the morning at the Musee D'Orsay.  It was pretty awesome-lots of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings from Renoir, Monet, Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Corbet, Caillebot, Degas, Cezanne, Seurat, Gaugin, etc.  The paintings were amazing, but the building, itself, was also really cool-it used to be a railway station.  After the museum we went out for lunch and I had duck.

We then went to the Rodin Museum and most of the statues were out in the garden, and it was really hot.  I have a vague recollection of BYU not allowing the statue, "The Kiss," to come to their art museum because it was of nudes.  Such a shame.  Afterward, we went over to Les Invalides, which has a military museum (from medieval times through the second World War), and also houses Napoleon's tomb.  The tomb is pretty big-there are actually four different tombs inside.  Not really sure why.  My sister in-law, Melissa, and I were pretty much done after the tomb, so we headed back to the condo and stopped along the way at a patisserie and got a bunch of delicious pastries.  It's strange to think that what we thought were amazing pastries are probably mediocre to Parisians.  My standards aren't very high, I don't think!  We had one tart that had strawberries on it and they were how strawberries should be-so flavorful.  A total difference from the huge ones you get at CostCo!

Paris Day 4

We went to the Louvre first thing this morning and needless to say, I was in heaven!  I felt like a 13 year-old at a Justin Bieber concert and got all teary-eyed when I saw several paintings I've loved for years.  We went to see the Mona Lisa first, but I've never been a huge fan, so that wasn't overly exciting other than for the fact that now I can say I've seen it.  It's just a little overrated in my opinion.  We're planning on going back a second time, but just in case something comes up and we don't make it, I wanted to make sure I saw all the really big stuff-Winged Victory, Venus de Milo, the Code of Hamurrabi, the Vermeers, Michelangelo's Dying Slave, and paintings by Rubens, Gericault, David, Murillo, da Vinci, etc.  There are far too many must see pieces of art in my mind!  There are still many things I want to see that we didn't have time for, so I'm definitely going back.  I didn't even make it into the Egyptian section at all!  We decided to only spend about three hours there so we didn't get museum fatigue, and that was about perfect.  I could have maybe done another hour, but then I definitely would have been worn out.

For lunch we went to a creperie and had a really nice meal.  Mark tried escargot which smelled delicious, but looked disgusting as he pulled it out of the shells.  He said it tasted like boogers.  I had a savory crepe with spinach, creme fraiche and an egg on top, and then a sweet crepe with just butter and sugar.  The savory crepes were made with buckwheat flour and I didn't like that as much as the regular sweet crepes.  They were still delicious though.  It was nice to finally have French food since we've been having Middle Eastern food for lunch everyday.  I enjoy kebabs, but we're in Paris, I want French food!

After lunch we went to a flea market that is supposed to be Europe's largest.  Initially it appeared like the market was really small and we thought maybe it was because it was Monday instead of the weekend, but then Mark went exploring and found that the area where we were wasn't really part of the flea market, it was just the outskirts.  Once we crossed the street, the place went on for what seemed like miles.  It was HUGE!  And also kinda dirty and ghetto.  There were lots of hookas and gangsta rap t-shirts for sale.  There were also many booths full of African stuff-jewelry, carvings, etc.  We stayed for probably an hour and a half and by then we were burning up (severe lack of shade there!) and tired, so we headed home.  I did find my original art there though, which oddly enough, I purchased from the same artist that my brother purchased his two pieces from the last time he was here.  It's just a small painting of an African village (the artist is from the Congo), but I love it.  I also found a cool Middle Eastern wall hanging and a new carry-on suitcase that has a map print on it. 

We were going to go to Versailles tomorrow, but most of the museums in Paris are closed on Tuesdays, so all of the tourists go to Versailles.  We're going to save Versailles for Wednesday and go to the Musee D'Orsay (HUGE collection of Impressionist art) and Les Invalides (where Napoleon is buried) tomorrow instead.  Yesterday, after the Pantheon we stopped by the steps where Owen Wilson sits in Midnight in Paris, and my older brother wants to go back there, so we'll probably go there as well. 

P.S.  Breakfast this morning was amazing-still warm baguettes, pain du chocolat, and a pastry with chocolate chips and a glaze on it, another with bacon, and yet another with Roquefort cheese.  Unbelievably delicious!!!

Paris Day 3

Yesterday was a busy day, filled with lots of cool stuff.  We started the day out by going to Sainte Chapelle, which was one of the things I most wanted to see.  The stained glass there was truly amazing.  They're restoring it all, section by section, so we didn't quite get the full effect, but it was still breathtaking.  Nearby Sainte Chapelle is the Conciergerie, which is a former royal palace and the prison where people, including Marie-Antoinette, were kept during the French Revolution.  They had a replica of her cell and examples of the other cells they had at the time.  They had bigger cells for all the riffraff, and then, if you had money, you could buy your way into a cell that had actual beds in it.  These were supposedly slightly cleaner and, according to the signage, were not as rife with promiscuity.  They had a couple of great slide presentations about the French Revolution and Marie-Antoinette's time at the Conciergerie.  I would like to read about her life-I know very little about it, other than she didn't actually say let them eat cake.  It sounds like she was definitely a character, but also a pawn in a political game that ended up with her being executed. 

Next we went to Notre Dame.  They happened to be doing Mass when we got there, so as we walked in you could hear the angelic singing and smell the incense.  The inside wasn't hugely impressive, but the outside was cool.  I loved the gargoyles and ended up buying two cheap, touristy replicas later in the day.  There is a small crypt outside of Notre Dame that we went to that was boring and hot.  It showed the remains of the original city center that's been excavated below the Notre Dame area.

We next had Lebanese food for lunch (delicious), then went to the Cluny museum.  It's a medieval museum and it contains the famous (possibly only to me???) Lady and the Unicorn tapestries.  I was like a kid in a candy store with those things.  They're pretty darn amazing!  The rest of the pieces in the museum were pretty cool too-they had several portrayals of Jesus being circumcised.  My dad spent an excessive amount of time taking pictures here, although I think you could probably say that about just about every place we've been to at this point!

The Pantheon was next.  It's a mausoleum that houses the remains of some of the most distinguished French citizens.  We saw the burial places of Rousseau, Voltaire, Braille, Madame Curie (and her husband), Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo.  The crypt, where they are located, was actually really cool this time around.  The Pantheon, itself, houses Foucault's pendulum (although this one is from 1995), and different monuments to things I can't remember because I got distracted by Mark's app that allows you to place cats in different pictures.

We had planned to go to the Musee D'Orsay at this point, but it was too late, so instead we went over to the famous bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, and then my mom and I did a little souvenir shopping back over by Notre Dame.  We then went back to the condo, to meet up with my brother and sister in-law, who had just arrived after a few days in London.

Today we're hitting the Louvre and Europe's largest flea market.

Paris Day 2

The day isn't over (it's around 7:30 or so here), but we've just come back to the condo and I think I'm in for the night.

We started the day off by going to Pere Lachaise, a famous French cemetery.  We saw the graves of Edith Piaf, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Steine, Marcel Proust, Auguste Comte (founder of Positivism, a religion based on science), Marechal Ney (one of Napoleon's generals), and of course, Jim Morrison.  Those of you who know my father can guess which two graves he insisted we see!!!  There was also a whole area with graves and monuments dedicated to people who resisted or were killed by the Nazis during WWII.  That was probably my favorite area.  Most, if not all, of the concentration camps had their own monument.  Several had statues on them that were amazing-skeletal looking people and such.  Pictures to follow.  It was really moving-I think of WWII being such a far away thing, so it was strange to think that part of it happened in France.

After the cemetery we went over to Sacre Couer, which is a basilica set on the highest hill in Paris.  It had a great view of all of Paris (it's even higher than the Eiffel Tower), but was fairly small inside.  Beautiful, though.  From there we walked over to the Moulin Rouge, which was disappointing.  I guess in my mind I had pictured it as being this big windmill set off on a hill kind of by itself and surrounded by artists.  There were no artists, but it was surrounded by sex shops and strip clubs.  Needless to say, I did not find the art I was looking to buy! We also passed by Le Musee de l'Erotisme.  We didn't go in, but there was a chair out front that had part of the seat cut out and attached was a wheel that had items sticking out that resembled tongues.  Use your imagination. 

Next we went to the Arc de Triomphe.  It was pretty impressive just to look at it, but you can also climb to the top.  There were 284 steps to get up there, all of which my legs keenly felt.  The view was well worth it, though-AMAZING!  After hiking back down we walked the entire length of the Champs de Elysee.  We stopped at Laduree, which supposedly has the best macaroons in Paris.  I also had to stop in at the Sephora there, which was huge!  It doesn't look that big from the outside, but when you walk in, I swear it goes back about a quarter of a mile.  Very impressive!  The Champs de Elysee ends up at the Place de la Concorde.  There we saw the obelisk that marks the spot where the guillotine stood during the French Revolution-Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were executed there.  We didn't walk around much-by then we were all hurting and ready go head back to the condo.

It was a fun day and we saw lots of cool stuff, but I think my favorite part of the day was the WWII section at Pere Lachaise. Tomorrow we're going to Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle, and a museum or two, and my brother and sister in-law arrive from London.  Fun, fun!

Paris Day 1

I don't keep a journal, so I'm documenting my trip here.  

Mark and I arrived in Paris yesterday morning safe and sound, but really tired.  Neither of us could really sleep on the plane, which sucked, but hey, we're in Paris, so there's no complaining allowed!  We got our metro pass and headed to the condo to drop our bags off, which they were nice enough to let us do even though the rooms weren't ready yet.  Then we went out to explore!  We walked around the neighborhood a little bit and, of course, stopped at a patisserie for some pain du chocolate (chocolate croissaints).  Then we took the metro over to the Eiffel Tower (at which point I finally felt like I was actually in Paris instead of any random European city) and walked around for a little while before taking our river cruise on the Seine.  By this time, however, we were both exhausted since we hadn't slept for over 24 hours.  Both of us were doing the bobble head thing and nodding off.  The cruise was actually quite nice, though-we saw Notre Dame and many other sites we will soon be exploring.  Afterwards we headed back to the condo to take a shower and a nap.  My parents finally arrived around 8pm (they had been in Scotland) and we visited for a while, then walked over to the neighborhood grocery store to grab stuff for dinner and breakfast.  We had a great meal of soup, bread and cheese, then madeleines and pudding stuff for dessert. 

The condo is nice-it's out of the city center, by Chateau de Vincennes.  It's three bedrooms, two bathrooms (split up weird-one full bathroom, one room that has just a toilet, and then in one of the bedrooms, a room with just a shower stall and a sink), a kitchen and living room/formal dining area.  We have a little balcony as well.

I'm sitting here eating breakfast as I type this-fresh baguettes from the local baker, and what I thought was yogurt, but is not.  It looked like yogurt and the label said Danon, but it turns out it's actually whipped cream with the kind of strawberry syrup you get at the bottom of fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts.  It was a delicious surprise!  We forgot to pick up butter last night, so my Dad has gone to the market (which is just across the street) to grab some for the bread, then we'll be off to sight-see for the day.  I think we are going to go to Montmartre for the morning to see the Moulin Rouge and Sacre Couer.  It's an artsy area, so I'm hoping to buy some art while there.  My brother and his wife got a couple of cool paintings when they were in Paris a couple of years ago, and I want to get something for my walls too.  

Later!

The countdown has begun!

I'm leaving for Paris bright and early Thursday morning and I'm officially beyond excited!  I've been more apprehensive than excited until the last week or so, mainly because I've never been somewhere where I don't speak the language, and let's face it, Parisians don't have a reputation for being nice to stupid American tourists.  My little brother and I get there early Friday morning and we have all day to explore the city before the rest of our group gets there Friday evening.  It will definitely be an adventure!  I think we're going to do a river cruise of the Seine while we're waiting for everyone else.  It will be a great way to see the city and relax a little bit after the long trip.  This will definitely be a nice break from the stress of the last couple of months and I can't wait to immerse myself in art, history and, of course, food!