Greetings, People of Earth

Greetings, People of Earth:

No set theme to the blog today, just another collection of vignettes (as you know, “vignette” is French for “those tiny chocolate-covered raisins they sell you at the movie theater”).

First, an apology: I’ve been bad about posting our photo links to the blog. I’ve been good about taking the pictures, I’ve been good about transferring them from my camera to my computer, I’ve been good about uploading the photos to Snapfish. But each time I post a blog entry, I forget to post a link to the pictures. So, basically, there’s a frog-load of pictures here, so set aside longer than usual to peruse them. In each batch, there should be a satisfying mix of “artsy pictures,” “touristy pictures,” “people pictures,” and “still-life pictures of vegetables.” You’ll see what I mean. Let me know what you think of the pictures (particularly the artsy ones).

Week Two Photos: Most importantly, photos of our long-term apartment (the photos in our “Week One” batch were of the apartment we only lived in for our first few days in Paris). Also, photos of Sara and I drinking wine from baby bottles, and some of those crazy vegetable still lives.
http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=199251169759156695/l=240180977/g=14513899/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Weeks Three and Four: lots of photos of the French national library, Sara’s and my stroll along a Paris canal, and other fun stuff
http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=62461170781409622/l=240334660/g=14513899/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Weeks Four and Five: a good, old-fashioned Paris protest, Sara’s and my Valentine’s Day (a trip to the ballet and to a smoky jazz joint), plus a weekend trip to visit chateaux/castles in the Loire Valley (plus super-cute kidlet pix of our friends’ Beth and Sebastien’s twins)
http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=201191171900796337/l=240502926/g=14513899/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Now, some non-photo-related thoughts and observations:
* Sara bought a chocolate bar, that, like most things here, had a wrapper that was translated into several languages (to make for easier trans-European sales). But go figure, what we call “Dark Chocolate” and what the French call “Chocolat Noir” the Spanish call “Chocolate Negro.” 'Nuff said. I suppose in America we'd call it "Theobroma Cacao African American," just to be both scientifically and politically correct. It also sounds like an entry on a Letterman Top Ten List of Rejected Ben and Jerry Flavor Names: 10.) Chocolate Negro, 9.) Fun With Fennel, 8.) Lemon Pledge, 7.) Chunks-o-Slim-Jim, 6.) Sawdust Swirl, 5.) Fingernail Chip, 4.) Peas-n-Tuna, 3.) Blue Balls, 2.) I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, and 1.) Melgibsonilla. (PS: Yes, I know Letterman actually already did this list, but mine's not bad...)

* We also bought a bag of cheesy chip-like things that were called “Crac’zie.” That sure explains the whole “bet you can’t eat just one!” phenomenon, doesn’t it?

* In a recent debate between Sara and I about the comparative value of a “biscuit-flavored dessert cream” item I’d purchased, I was emphasizing that the damn thing actually tasted remarkably like a “petit beurre” cookie (“biscuit” means “cookie” in French, and “petit beurre” is like the official #1 most beloved store-bought cookie of France, similar in status though not in make-up to Oreos in America), which I thought was both amazing and worthwhile. Sara argued that the “phlegm-y” texture grossed her out. I asserted that “biscuit trumps phlegm-y,” which, as Dave Barry would say and M.S. would appreciate, would be a great band name.

* I love France Info, the 24-hour French radio news network (you can listen live online at www.france-info.com). One recent story actually involved the theft of 9000 Euros (or $11,700) worth of cheese. Even the French newsreaders recognized the absurdity of this, mentioning that a few cheese knives were also stolen, possibly in case the evildoers wanted a snack on the road. (N.E., help me out here, I know there must be a fantastic pun in this somewhere, but I’m blanking…)

* Fun Ipod Moment: While walking down the Rue Mouffetard (aka “The Mouffe,” a literally millennia-old steep and narrow street today filled mainly with touristy restaurants), what came on the Ipod but…the Magnum, P.I. theme. Between its irresistible, energizing vintage catchiness and the fact that Sara and I had seen “Rocky Balboa” recently, I have to admit that I felt projected into some kind of crazy, Euro-fey, reverse downhill version of the famous stairs/museum training scene. I resisted jumping triumphantly in the air, fists pumping above my head, when I got to the bottom of the hill. I did instantly sprout a thick, cheesy moustache (don’t worry, the Berthillon caramel au beurre sale ice cream is so good it instantly shaved it off for me) and felt the lingering need to call people “Huggy-Bear.” Oh wait, that's Starsky and Hutch. Never mind.

* Still on the Ipod theme, are you convinced, like I am, that your Ipod’s “shuffle” feature doesn’t actually create a random scramble, and that instead the damn thing plays favorites? We’re not alone. Check out these two articles (though I still don’t buy the explanation) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6854309/site/newsweek/ http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,68893,00.html

Well, with the last two blog entries being death-slogs in terms of length, I’d better cut this short here. But stay tuned for another blog entry within a couple of days, and more vignettes shortly thereafter.

Josh