It is Sunday evening. I have just had a relaxing and much-needed shower. I finally have a little energy to think about blogging something. I've been out of commission most of the past three days, laid out by a cold + bit of bronchitis... you know the kind of thing I'm talking about. Where when you're sitting still and not doing much, you think you're feeling OK and getting better, but the minute you get up and move around you start getting woozy and need to crawl under the covers with a box of Kleenex and a strong expectorant for company? Yeah, that's been me, all weekend... a lazy slug.
We managed to make it out of the house for a few hours on Friday night (after I rested all day) for a small party to celebrate Petite's book; there was no way I was going to miss that! Had a lovely time with my friends there (and Alice, you looked so great -- pending motherhood really suits you! And HUGE kudos to Frog for his custom-designed Petite doll -- when I get published, I hope you'll make me one because it was TOO DAMN WONDERFUL) but the trip wore me out. We only had to go from the 18th to the 19th, but had two subway changes with too many stairs with the elevated platform at Jaurès, and then discovered the Buttes Chaumont station was closed so had to walk an extra 10 minutes. Normally this wouldn't be such a big deal but try doing it when your breathing is constricted by about 30%.
Saturday we attempted a movie at a theatre where normally, we'd walk there just for the exercise but where I was so tired we took the bus... then found out we got the movie times mixed up and we were too late. (Hey, it happens.) While we were using the WiFi and Georges' iPod Touch in the local McDo's to see if we could find the same movie at another theatre at a convenient time, I suddenly felt SO dizzy and woozy that Georges had to let me lean against him, propping me up in case I passed out (which I did not, thank goodness -- who wants to pass out in a McDonald's? Ugh.) Once I felt better, we decided the Universe was telling us to just go home and have a quiet afternoon. Good decision.
That night, I cooked dinner for Georges, me and the two oldest kids -- the first time I've cooked here, ever, unless you count making coffee, tea or toast as "cooking" (and I don't). I cook two special dishes really well, and the shrimp scampi over rice (with a mesclun salad -- Georges made the dressing as he's better at it) I made last night was one of them. Fortunately it's an easy, quick dish to make and doesn't require a lot of prep work (other than beheading and peeling a lot of shrimp), so I had just enough energy to cook and serve. We had a really nice dinner together, en famille.
Today we had thought about heading to the big agriculture show because it sounded interesting (if a bit smelly) but I still wasn't feeling perky enough to deal with the crowds, plus we slept really late AGAIN (what a luxury!) so instead we turned it into a de-cluttering day. Georges has, bit by bit, been sorting and purging and rearranging things to make room for me and my stuff, bless his heart. And wonder of wonders, he has a teenage daughter who prefers things neat and tidy, and initiates cleaning projects UNPROMPTED. God knows I was never that way! I helped to the best of my ability (did some laundry, handed things to Georges when he was putting them in the little storage cave, cleaning up the kitchen, took some things upstairs to the office to deal with later) but mainly Georges just told me to rest and not exert myself. Between the two of them, each doing their separate little household projects, I cannot believe how much they accomplished.
So now, here we are... 9:45 on a Sunday night. Done with the work. Ate a delicious (cooked by Georges) but quiet dinner because we were all ravenous and tired; I did the dishes. She is watching TV in the other room. He is in the kitchen on his laptop, listening to classical music and reading something on the Internet. And I'm in the bedroom, cozy and relaxed and doing what comes naturally -- writing. For someone who is used to a lot of alone time, I am finding the adjustment to family living is a pleasure so far. At the end of the first week... even with getting sick (and how more real does it get than THAT?) I can honestly say: it's been fun, comfortable, and really wonderful.
That soft sound you hear is a sigh of contentment.
