The Bold Soul: A Writer's Life in Paris

The one where I really freak out (and possibly offend) some of the Americans

This rather interesting-looking sleek, modern building with the odd white dome in front is -- better hold onto yourselves, Americans -- COMMUNIST PARTY HEADQUARTERS in Paris. I wouldn't have known this -- I didn't see any big, blazing sign or anything -- but we were in the 19th arrondissement near metro Colonel Fabien, en route to visit the university where my older step-son is studying architecture in Belleville, and he's the one who casually pointed it out to me. I've told him about how strongly American sentiment typically runs against Communism, and all about the impact of the McCarthy era, with all the blacklisting and the Congressional "inquisitions" that took place in those days, and how those fears of "the Commie threat" continue to linger in the culture (I can still hear Archie Bunker ranting about "Pinkos"). So I guess he told me about this building just to see how I'd react. All I did was go, "Oh? Nice building" and take a picture. Yes, America, I live in Europe now. Where there are card-carrying Communists. Everywhere. Maybe even standing next to me in the metro. And here they are, in a nice big shiny building and everything (which I... Read more →

If you even have to ask, then he's NOT into you

I keep thinking there will no longer be a need for me to keep harping on this subject, but apparently not. Some of you out there are still wondering. My now infamous blog post from April 2007, "He's Into Me... He's Into Me Not", continues to be quite popular with Google for anyone who has typed in something like "is he into me or not?" As I'm working on my book, I've been spending some time going over old blog posts by way of organizing my thoughts for the book, and today this one caught my eye again. In reading it, I realized it still holds true -- everything I thought and said about men, dating, and how we women need to stop making excuses for the ones who simply aren't into us enough. It now frustrates me when I hear a perfectly lovely woman wasting her energy, wondering why that "special someone" hasn't called, or when he'll call, or what he meant by that cryptic email he sent, or when he's going to ask her out again. Blah blah blah, in an endless loop, single women everywhere are having much the same conversation with themselves and their girlfriends, micro-analyzing... Read more →

Nautilus staircase

A typical 7-story walk-up in Paris; isn't the staircase lovely to look at from this vantage point -- at the bottom? And yes, I have walked up to the top... one of the Little Guy's friends lives there, and there is no elevator. On the day I took this photo, I elected to stay at the bottom while Georges escorted the two boys upstairs. He was a bit winded when he came down, but no where near as bad as I was last Thursday when it was my turn. It's really nice to know my husband's heart is in such good shape; I, on the other hand, clearly have some work to do. Read more →

Where to buy good slutty boots in Paris

I'm guessing this store is probably not listed in Rick Steves' or Frommer's travel guides, but I passed by this window display on Blvd. Rochechouart (same street that leads you to Pigalle with all the sex shops) near Blvd. Barbes, and how could I NOT notice the thigh-high red boots, or the silver calf-high platform boots just behind them? So if you're visiting Paris and are looking for the perfect gift for that hooker, ABBA impersonator, or drag queen on your souvenir shopping list (or perhaps you just want to WOW your husband or boyfriend?)... now you know where to go. By the way, this store is just across the street from the cheap Tati stores, cut-rate cell phone stores and all the marriage boutiques in the neighborhood. You've gotta love the diversity in this part of town. Read more →

Healthier... Day 15

Today was my second weekly weigh-in with WW and slightly better news: -1.8 lbs. Now, considering that last week I was up a pound with water weight gain, and that the number I saw on the scale this morning was exactly the same number I saw after four days of the stomach bug I had three weeks ago (that I am still not 100% over, apparently... yuck), I am not feeling so virtuous about this "loss" -- but I'll take it over a gain any day. This week was sort of a "lost" week, tracking wise. I only tracked my progress maybe 50% of the time. From last Sunday evening until about Thursday, I had a lot of back pain (which only got WORSE after my session with the kiné on Monday afternoon) so any serious walking or physical activity was just plain out of the question. However, I'm sick of having back pain every time I do any kind of decent amount of physical activity, so I made a long-overdue appointment for tomorrow with the podiatrist to get the orthotics (thank you, Linda, for reminding me of the English word for les semelles) I have needed for more than... Read more →

Answered prayers

This is shaping up to be the week of answered prayers in our house. And the week isn't over yet. First off, the news many of you have been waiting for: it seems that Clachat has been fortunate enough to find a loving new home! She leaves us in one week to live with the parents of our neighbor; their old cat died a couple of months ago and finally they decided they'd rather adopt an older cat than a kitten, and Clachat was in the right place at the right time to be chosen. We could not be more happy; the couple in question have a small garden, so Clachat will have some outdoor space to keep her happy in the good weather. We'll send her with a cushion she likes to sleep on, so she'll have something familiar, and a few packets of her favorite food, but otherwise the très gentille dame, who came to meet the cat today, said they don't need anything else. I think Clachat (who will be renamed Cléa, it seems) will be in very good hands. My older step-son got some good news this week after having an MRI on his knee, and... Read more →

Lundi, Lundi

It's another lundi matin and I've got that song in my head.... "Monday, Monday... so good to me". But so far I'm not sure Monday is being very good to me at all. I woke up with some nasty back pain that actually started up yesterday morning. I've been going to a kiné (someone who does physical therapy) but due to being sick 3 weeks ago, and then him not having any openings for me the past two weeks, I haven't had a session. But I've got one this afternoon and hopefully that will help put things back in alignment, literally. He claims I have my left leg a bit shorter than my right, and since my left leg is the one where I broke the leg and ankle in three places in 1996, I can easily see where time and circumstance may have shortened that leg. He says I need to get les semelles (those custom orthopedic shoe inserts -- I forget what they're called in English, isn't that funny?) made or this will keep happening whenever I start walking a lot more. Which is probably the root of the problem. Last week, I did more walking in that... Read more →

The cat...

... is currently sleeping blissfully on our living room floor, in her favorite spot next to one of the heating units. In response to your kind inquiries on Clachat's residency status and welfare: the older couple was not able to come to meet Clachat this weekend after all, but will come one day early this week, perhaps even tomorrow night. Their daughter, our neighbor, has assured us that her parents have decided they DO prefer an older cat to a kitten, at their stage of life, and they are definitely interested in our cat. They want to take a little trip before bringing a new cat home, so even if they decide to adopt Clachat, she will remain with us for another 10 days or so... supposedly until March 17th, on or about. Which is no problem for us. So we are still encouraged that this will work out well for all concerned. Assuming she leaves us on that day, I'll be doing an Irish jig while drinking French champagne... and probably wiping away a few tears before going online to shop for the lovely new cat-pee-free CARPET I'm going to buy. Read more →

L'accordéoniste

This spunky young lady sat herself down right in the middle of this little place outside the Eglise Saint-Pierre, just near Sacre Coeur and the Place du Tertre. She was doing a fine job, too, playing and singing old French classics. It was cold and windy, but at least the sun was out. I hope she made a few centimes. Read more →

The 1,500th Post

I wish I could say I had something fabulous and exciting planned for this, my 1,500th blog post... but I don't. I slept poorly last night -- thinking too much about the great apartment I saw yesterday and how it might work for our family if we get it, and about my brother-in-law back in New Jersey, who this week experienced chest pains, and two days ago, had to have some stents put in (he'll be 49 next week, and we're nearly the same age). So instead, let's let this post be a mélange of short topics, and few recent photos. My brain is too fried to do much more today. Spring is arriving in Paris. We've got all these sweet little crocuses popping out of flowerpots in our courtyard, thanks to a few of the neighbors who enjoy gardening. We've even had sunshine and blue skies this week, several days in a row, though it's anything but warm yet. The apartment I saw yesterday was by far the best one we've seen to date, even with a few imperfections. Location? Unbelievable. Size: nearly as roomy as our house, although the layout doesn't make it seem as big. Closets? A... Read more →