The Bold Soul: A Writer's Life in Paris

Ambitious

I am finally planning my "grand tour" around Europe! I had been putting it off, waiting to see if my grandmother's health would stabilize (or not) and since it now appears she is stable for the moment, I have decided to go ahead with my plans. After all, she is partly the motivation for me doing this, because it is her 1956 travel itinerary I am attempting to replicate for this trip. It's all part of the research for the book I want to write. So far, my own itinerary is looking pretty ambitious. Not only am I trying to hit as many of the places as my grandmother (plus grandfather and father) saw when they did their trip nearly 51 years ago, but I'm taking a few of my own detours as well. I figure if I'm going to do it, I might as well see as much as I can. It won't be the kind of in-depth travel I normally prefer but it will give me the chance to see a little of everything, and I can always come back if I fall in love with a particular place. But the "Europe Lite" style of travel was how... Read more →

All that glitters

This weekend, my niece Beth turned 15. I know everyone makes a huge whopping deal over the whole "Sweet 16" thing (including MTV) but for some reason, 15 feels more significant to me. I wanted to mark this birthday for her in some special way, especially since I can't be with her as I usually am. (I missed her older brother's 20th earlier this month, too, but with him being a young man who just got his first brand new car, and where he now has a car loan and insurance in his own name that he must pay for, I gave him exactly what I knew he'd want and need most: cash. It came from the heart, though.) But for my niece, I wanted to get her something to signify her passage into young lady-hood (although I was informed that for her birthday, she had some friends over and they played Red Rover and used the Slip-and-Slide... nice to know they are stretching their childhoods to the very limit!) I thought I would end up casing all of Paris for something unique. Turns out, I was able to score the perfect gift right in my old stomping grounds in... Read more →

Skipping

I am on the métro, making my way home after seeing a movie over in La Défense with a friend. In a good mood, having enjoyed the crazy movie (believe it or not, Transformers), and dinner and stroll with my friend as we caught the tail end of the sunset behind the Grande Arche. I am checking for any text messages, and see I have two! My heart skips a beat... I wonder if one of the messages will be from him. I had texto'd him earlier in the day on my way to the movie... inexplicably compelled to make contact again, with a little "Hi, how's your day going? Enjoy the rest of the weekend" kind of thing. I even took the time to text him en français, since he always takes the time to translate everything for me in our e-mails and phone calls. Our great conversation on Friday night allowed me to feel comfortable enough, for some reason, to do this, to say "I was thinking of you". I picture him checking his phone, maybe while he's working or perhaps not until the end of the day, and seeing a message from me... hoping it puts a... Read more →

Are sweet nothings still sexy if you have to ask for a translation?

For once, I think I might have made the right choice. I did it. I asked him out, via an email yesterday morning, suggesting we just meet for a coffee or a drink on Sunday afternoon or evening (I already had plans for a girls' night out tonight and I am not the kind of woman who normally ditches her girlfriends for a guy, especially one I'm not even involved with yet.) No big deal, just something casual, and I did it by email in case he wasn't interested, it would just be easier that way. No expectations, just a willingness to take a risk. So, I put it out there. And then promptly put it out of my mind. Until my cell phone rang last evening... I looked at the display... Him! He (in rapid French, so I'm paraphrasing): I was happy to get your message inviting me out. But unfortunately I have to work on Sunday this week. Next weekend I don't work. Me (never entirely sure I'm understanding much of ANYTHING he is saying when it's in French): Ummm... OK.... [lightbulb goes on in head] oh, I get it, you have to work every other weekend! From... Read more →

Humeur de Toilette

A friend sent me one of those joke e-mails today, one which still, hours later, has me L.M.A.O. (that's Laughing My Ass Off for those who don't know the code). The e-mail was entitled "Restroom Signs" and had some of the best gender-bashing one-liners I've heard in a long time. Even if you've already seen 'em somewhere else, they're still good for a laugh. My disclaimer is that I have no idea if these are real signs or if all the locations are real; if you're familiar with any of these places and can check it out, report back to us. And if you get easily offended by low-brow humor, stop reading now and go read The New Yorker while the earthier among us have a few chucks. Bon week-end, mes amis! Friends don't let friends take home ugly men. -- Women's Restroom; Starboard, Dewey Beach, DE Beauty is only a light switch away. -- Perkins Library, Duke University, Durham, NC No matter how good she looks, some other guy is sick and tired of putting up with her shit. -- Men's Room; Linda's Bar and Grill, Chapel Hill, NC Make love, not war. Hell, do both! GET MARRIED! --... Read more →

Teeter or Totter?

I am sitting here wondering if I should make the next move. Or not. I can't decide. On last Saturday's date with French Guy, the evening came to a rather abrupt halt because I did not have the presence of mind to choose more sensible footwear. (In fairness, walking wasn't supposed to be on the Official Date-with-French-Guy Itinerary; and besides, up until I bought these, every pair of flat but dressier shoes I own bothers my feet and I am always choosing from the best of a painful lot.) The drinks part of our date was quite nice, actually, and in theory so was the walking through the Tuileries and down along the Seine, except that all I could think about was how much my freaking feet hurt. I'm not sure how the evening might have ended otherwise; would he have asked me out again right away? I did get an offer of a foot massage... at the end of the evening, might there have been more than the traditional two-cheek French social kiss? Mystère, et boules de gomme. I admit... I am intrigued by the unrealized possibilities, hinted at by several glances exchanged where I, for one, felt a... Read more →

Water, water everywhere... or nowhere at all

Can someone explain to me - or to the Paterson, New Jersey police department - how thieves stole an entire swimming pool from someone's back yard... and apparently, they may have taken the 1,000 gallons of water, too? A woman awoke to find that her above-ground swimming pool had been stolen (and that was the only thing that was taken from their property), but what she and the cops can't figure out is: what did the thieves do with all the water, because there is no sign that they drained the pool anywhere in or around the yard before stealing it. What's your best guess? A pump or a water truck would have made too much noise and someone would have noticed it. However they did it, they did it quietly. Unbelievable... just when you thought you'd heard it all. And speaking of water, I have been hearing about the terrible flooding taking place in England right now. I checked Google Maps to get an idea of where the trouble spots are, and realized it's all happening right smack dab in the area through which I am planning a driving tour some time this year. My itinerary, starting in London,... Read more →

Trop mignon!

God bless les soldes... found these absolutely mignon (cute) and very comfy shoes today on Rue de Rennes. They're even a bit sexy, with the toe cleavage and all! And all for under 30 Euros. Hmmm... I think I know which shoes I will be wearing next time I am out on a date in Paris where walking is on the agenda. Read more →

Blackouts

No post on Tuesday because Typepad was hit by a blackout of some kind. Shame on them for not having a better back-up plan to cover natural disasters. What am I paying them for, anyway? Speaking of blackouts, I finally got a chance for a nice long chat with my almost-15 year old niece (her birthday is Saturday, the cutie!) She was at camp for a week and then spent another week with her parents and her father's family at a lake in Upstate NY where the extended family has been spending summers for several generations. She was away when the 5th Harry Potter movie was released and also when the 7th book came out last week. Harry Potter is our "thing", something we love-love-love talking about together, and I have been eager for her to come back to real life so we can escape together into our Harry Potter mania. So she was telling me that on Monday she finally got to see the movie with some friends, and what do you think happened? They were getting to the part where Harry is just about to kiss Cho, and the entire theatre blacked out! There were some bad storms... Read more →

... and now I KNOW (but I'm not telling)

It is done. C'est fini. I am not saying one word about what happens within the pages, or even whether or not I liked it and how it turned out, so you don't have to be afraid to read anything on my blog. I'm no spoil-sport (and don't try posting any comments giving it away, either, because I'm temporarily moderating all comments to spare those of you who are still reading, and all spoilers will be deleted!) What I do want to write about was my own unusual reaction to this book from the moment I picked it up at the bookstore and sat down in a nearby café to read a few pages before my date the other night, because my reaction surprised me. I have never in my life read any book where I was tense and anxious even BEFORE I even opened it or read a single word. Usually when I have read a Harry Potter book in the past, I have no trouble just plowing through with great eagerness, and it's hard to pry me away from it. But with THIS book, the build-up and anticipation of knowing this was to be the Grand Finale was... Read more →