Thursday October 30, 2003
this is my France
imagine a place where you can buy a loaf of fresh bread, made each day by a master baker who rises before the sun does, for a mere, guarenteed 65 cents. and there is a bakery like this on nearly every other block.
and envision also on nearly every other block, or at least within a few minutes walk, a wine shop stocked to the gills with the finest wines you'll find anywhere. and you can buy a good wine, i mean a GOOD wine (as in it tastes good to you and there is no other criteria for enjoyment) for less than six dollars. for ten to fifteen dollars you can have a bottle of superb wine that back in the States, you would have had to cross state lines to have the privilege of paying fourty dollars to a snooty, malcontent clerk for.
imagine a place where you can sit at a warm and inviting coffee shop, order the smallest item, a coffee for a trifling 1.00 and stay at that table the entire day thereafter, never being bothered to move on. and there is a choice of such establishments, including some actually on a beach, yes, you can put your toes in the sand, sit in a comfortable chair under an umbrella and sip coffee THE ENTIRE DAY for one dollar. ok, maybe two dollars, a second cup of coffee never hurt anyone.
and think about this one: no one ever, EVER asks what you do for a living. they frequently and enthusiastically ask you, however, and get this: what you do for FUN. that's right, for PLEASURE. they don't ask where you went to college, they assume you know how to find the knowledge you seek. they don't ask you what kind of car you drive, it's not the car but it's contents (YOU!) that interest them. for status conscious Americans, i repeat: in this place, you will NEVER be asked what you do to earn a living. they want to know HOW you DO your LIVING.
and imagine even the smallest of towns have shoppers enough (of the sort who care enough about their evening meal to prepare for it in the morning) to support daily open air fresh produce markets. and at this market there is always someone who knows more about cheese than you ever believed humanly possible. and it's actually interesting information. and another fellow down the way has the same vast knowledge of nothing but sausage. and another holds a doctoral degree in mushrooms. again, all of it interesting and useful. this is not your pimply-faced highschool grocery mega-mania supercenter produce department stock boy flunkie. these guys live this stuff. and you gain at the table, ten-fold, for the difference i can tell you.
imagine that it is generally agreed amongst the people of this place, that in order to avoid the stress that the inevitable dings, scratches, miffs and clunks that driving and parking in small and winding lanes can create, they've all agreed that the OUTSIDE of all vehicles in fact belongs to NO ONE. an individual only owns the INSIDE of a car. the condition of the paint job is of no concern whatsoever, it's not yours anyway. poof! in one fell swoop, no worries! so what that the delivery truck engraved the side of the car?, he has every right to if he needs to get through that way, it belongs to everyone afterall. it's a free country.
and dogs and babies are welcome (and truly welcomed, with coos, cuddles and smiles) everywhere..every shop, every restaurant. even the foo-foo ones, where occassionally, wonders!, a dog may actually be enjoying quite a fine meal in the chair next to you. and FIVE YEAR OLDS regularly order huge bowls of MUSSELS and eat them, unaided, with relish. and someone will bring your dog a bowl of water, or warm your baby's bottle, often without being asked, every time.
imagine a people so comfortable with advances and tradition at the same time as to have clothed their street sweepers (individual men, not the vehicles) with insulated, wind and rain resisitant day-glow reflective uniforms of the most advanced variety (picture a HazMat suit) and then equipped them with a wood handled broom made of dried twigs bound together with a bit of string, a style of broom in use since i imagine the Middle Ages. it works. the best of both worlds, in teams of four (for the smoking break rotation), moving cleanly down your street every morning.
this is the France, my little piece of France, that i will miss next week. bless her.
Wednesday October 29, 2003
a louer
just got notice that my renter is not staying on another year, whereas i am. (in france i mean). so, if anyone out there knows of someone looking to rent a one bedroom apartment in Savannah's historic district starting Jan.1, drop me a line. i'm hoping to get it listed and even a showing or two in while i'm there. in case anyone's interested, and doesn't know them already (right, few would, what with my no-drop-by policy), here are the details:
one bedroom, one bath, heartpine wood floors, high ceilings, moldings, french doors open onto balcony with leafy view of Ogelthorpe Square, all new bathroom and eat in kitchen--all new fixtures and appliances including gas stove. renovated last year down to the light switches. a/c unit, updated lighting and a good sized closet. laundry in building. apt. is in quiet corner, top floor of 1920's building in the heart of Historic District..corner of State and Oglethorpe. water included, elect. and gas not included. one small dog or cat ok. furnished or unfurnished, negotiable accordingly.
only four more days
it's cold and rainy again today, not at all what i signed up for people! and guess what? it's 75 in Savannah! and i'll be there soon, i leave on Sunday. damn, i've got a lot to do before then. like drop another dress size.
three whole channels
Duncan, he of the french beaurocratic woes, was kind enough to bring a tv antenna into the household yesterday! woo-hoo! french tele! surprisingly enough, Friends translates quite well! or i've just seen the reruns so much i've memorized them. huh, well, that throws my i-understand-french pride out the window now doesn't it?
sweater girl
went out to get a dress for the wedding, came back with a sweater instead. but you should see it. i like my tits in this top.
Monday October 27, 2003
house? boat? where does one end and the other begin?
i came 'round to mom's the other day to find the apartment in quite a state (aside from the usual state). seems Bert has taken over my old room now that the weather has turned cold. and you know how Bert likes a domestic project. inside of a few days, he and Mom have purchased a proper stove (with an oven) for the kitchen.
it's never had one..just a stove top burner and some convection oven/microwave/grill combo ripped from the galley of the Enterprise with an instruction manual translated from German to Japanese to French. not a very helpful item in the kitchen. so, it's gone. replaced by a very nice new white straight-forward stove--gas burners and a proper oven underneath. Bert managed to get it installed, including the gas line and even sawing away the countertop to fit. only it left a big gap all around the edges. solution? edge it with teak wood of course!
the house is suspiciously begining to resemble the boat.
a bedroom with a view
the scene outside the front bedroom balcony in Cannes. it's taking some getting used to..Antibes seems to me so much greener and smaller, almost 'quaint', but i'm sure i'll find more to love as i get to know Cannes better. Miss Liz was a great help this past weekend, taking me over to the huge Marche Forville..must be ten times larger than the Marche Provencial in Antibes..everything you could want for produce, cheeses, flowers, etc. i'll be doing my daily shopping there for certain. i seem to have also gained a boyfriend..or so the older, married fellow who runs the pizzeria downstairs would like to believe. i lost something in the translation, but apparently, i'm his. huh.
meow
a few pics of Jack for Ma and Pa so far away. enjoy! fyi: don't ever call me a cat. i hate that. of course, to the French, that's what my name reads like.."Kaaht". ugh.
Sunday October 26, 2003
you can never escape the cheese
of all the luck! i finally get a decent (as opposed to horrifying and ridiculous) reply from an online match service (a rather nicer phrase than online dating, don't you think?) and WHERE is he? just WHERE is he from? MADISON BLOODY WISCONSIN. and WHAT is his screen name? wisconsin fucking BADGER! click here and scroll down to Oct. 4th blog entry. oh, thank god it's funny, cause otherwise i'm just going to be reduced to tears.
crush continued
my favorite blog guy, Jeff Philips, has posted quite a few new shots on his photoblog. i love him. seriousy, i think i do. why is it always photographers? there was that fellow in highschool with the Brownie collection and the vespers. i've been known to develop unhealthy attachments to wedding photographers on occasion..the one at Tom's was yum. and of course, who can forget Mr. Short-Pants? i even had a pretend boyfriend once in Savannah..he was a photographer too.
if the theory of being attracted to men similiar to your father holds true, i need to meet a short, balding, near-sighted photographer who as a hobby dabbles in cardiovascular surgery. hmm.
Hollywood, here he comes
my brother Thomas leaves for LA today! lots of luck! and love.
wait, isn't LA on fire? saw a glimpse of something on the news last night. hmm..not good, have more and more friends out there. Affable Dan, Balls, and Engaged Kristan, seems to be more each day. is there something about LA i don't know? or is it just the adage..tilt up the States and all the nuts roll to the west?
Saturday October 25, 2003
Friday October 24, 2003
closer
Jack and Ruby made progress by napping on the same bed yesterday. they did the same last night, sleeping on my bed this time...a purring cat to my right, a sighing dog to my left. and me with no place to turn. hmm, is this truly progress?
easel update
Horizon/Harbor/Bicyclist at the Port.
(click on titles for more details in the GALLERY)
finally back at it! completed these three the past few days in Cannes...nice light to work with in that front room and i finagled the digicam from Mom for these shots. "Harbor" is more abstracted than most i've previously done (it still holds to my motto though, you can indeed tell that the boats are boats), and i love it. that's Bert on his folding bike in "Bicyclist".
Thursday October 23, 2003
everything is as it should be
woo-hoo! Liz is back! and is as always, a force to be reckoned with..we were treated to a bottle of champagne from a table of Miss Liz-fixated fellows (in town for a conference, the number one factor for bravery on their part and rejection on ours) across the way in the restaurant last night. i gotta find an ugly girlfriend to hang out with.
Wednesday October 22, 2003
a universal truth
it's so elusive, so simple in concept and yet can become so complicated in practice. it's a logistical nightmare, a colossal headache, an 'asking for trouble' situation. a burden to our friends and family. and yet when we need one, as most of us will do at least once in our lifetime, we beg, cajole, and finagle to assure receiving one.
the dreaded, the infernal. the airport pick-up.
a French truth: the older the lady, smaller the dog=the better the baguette
since i was up so early, thought i'd go to the market and do some scoping around the neighborhood. i also needed to find a boulangerie/patisserie. which way? ok, follow the old ladies with market baskets and/or trolleys. bingo! ok, buy a baguette. then follow another old lady to another shop. buy another baguette (hoping the first isn't too obvious under coat). continue until have found four boulangeries to choose from. ok, which one has the best baguette ancienne? hmmm. have taste testing. mmm.
happy days!
the boiler man arrived this morning at 8am! unheard of here! so, of course, i was unprepared, ie: asleep in bed. but throwing vanity to the wind in favor of the hot shower vanity requires in the first place, i let him in. and he got it fixed! woo-hoo!
Tuesday October 21, 2003
cat vs. dog update
progress tonight...both cuddled up with me on the sofa tonight..Jack the cat on one side, Ruby the dog on the other..warm and snuggly and eyeing each other suspiciously over my lap. (which is by the way, not entirely as flat as i would like it to be before i return to Savannah to attend a wedding in less than two weeks time. where did that 'Abs 'n Buns' video go to? oh right, i've never had one.)
both have also discovered fun new games. Ruby: pick the cat's doo out of the litterbox and bat it around the living room floor til Ma realizes it's not a chew toy and indeed the source of the stink. Jack: jump up on anything higher than the dog and bat objects off the surface in her general direction, including the Strangers' eyeglasses, cigarettes and wine glass.
Monday October 20, 2003
pas l'eau chaud
the boiler repair man is coming on Wednesday morning. um, it's Monday. no hot water for how many days? if i didn't know better i would swear the service rep scheduled me for then because i butchered the french word for boiler. not knowing the french word for boiler and having left my dictionary at mom's i did my best: what part of "water hot making machine" wouldn't you understand?
let's hope the repair man has a better sense of humor.
FYI
the digital camera is staying with Mom in Antibes for the moment, so the blog will be a little image-light for awhile. sorry. it's rainy and gray here now anyway if that's any consolation.
Sunday October 19, 2003
how can it be that i don't own a single pair of socks?
i'm such a wuss. it's chilly here tonight, like in the mid to low 50's (13C)! thank goodness mom brought over (to Cannes) not only my dog, but The Ugly Sweater as well. but i can't find anything to keep my toesies warm and to top it off, somehow the hot water decided to call it quits this afternoon. i don't think i can face a cold shower in the morning. i might have to stay in bed under the covers all day tomorrow instead.
Friday October 17, 2003
i should never have learned to use that damned dvd player
why is it that cats never fail to know exactly when you are reading an exciting passage, and choose that exact moment to sit on your open book? why does the sun vanish and the cold wind appear when you have loads of laundry to do (sans dryer) and not a clean pair of knickers in sight?
and why, why, why does watching sappy love story movies late at night, alone, with a glass (um, bottle) of red wine seem like a good idea at the start? will i never learn???
Wednesday October 15, 2003
if i had a gallon of chocolate ice cream, i would have eaten it all by now
gorgeous, unique jewelry store. charming sales gal/owner. very helpful, cheery and interested in helping Erin, 'the young' find a ring that suits her and thrilled to help me, "MAMAN" find an appropriatly stylish necklace.
that's right: i was mistaken for THE MOTHER of my same-age girlfriend. dear god, what did i do to deserve this?!?!?!
she and i both realized right away her error of course (or so i choose to believe!), but she was too embarrased to ask if she was wrong, i was too mortified to correct her. so it continued. "Maman" bought a very sassy necklace--you know; for an old lady. "La Jeune" can go to hell!
Monday October 13, 2003
Congratulations Kid-o!
Thomas got the job with World of Wonder productions! woo-hoo! he's off to Hollywood!
Madame Kate
update from master researcher Peg re:my Visa nightmare. so far, it doesn't look good. though the Artist Visa allows me to live here, it does not allow for working. she did discover however, that i can legally work as a prostitute without a visa, as long as i don't have a pimp.
or i could aways try (harder) to find that EU husband. hmm, that's the same thing isn't it?
a tie for travel-from-hell stories
Erin's "Flying Chicago to Nice via Brussels (who goes thru Brussels??) Alone with Two Year Old Toddler and The Giant Misplaced Jogging Stroller" story is getting a run for its money from Thomas' "40 Hours Each Way to LA via Amtrak" saga. read about it and have a good laugh here.
Sunday October 12, 2003
beach babes
ok, this tyke gets more action than i've seen in years! first the little frenchie girl at the cafe, now a frenchie water nymph. he's a trooper..that water was COLD. must be his hearty Minnesota/Wisconsin upbringing.
Daddy Doug will be so proud...his little guy gettin' wid da ladies!
around la ville with The Giant Jogging Stroller
walking through Safranier (also known as 'the postcard street'), watching the regatta, discovering raisin brioche.
Saturday October 11, 2003
how did Mom manage with the three of us?
thanks to Aunt Maria--i received the cd-rom of family photos collected for the McMullen family reunion (this past July) and found this old (new to me) one on it...not much changes really, huh?
we had a good relaxed day today, free of train and bus rides. Miss Ruby and Sam had a rousing play session on the bit of lawn over by the port...games of 1,2,3 GO!, almost-Fetch and 'No, don't eat that off the ground!" (applies to both parties). it gave them both a chance to burn off some of that two-year-old energy. little Sam is such a sweet natured kid..very well behaved for a two year old..but man, kids are exhausting! i don't know how Erin does it!
that cliche bell went off for me last year, turning thirty and all, but the sound may be fading this week...
Friday October 10, 2003
traveling toddler
after nearly a full day of airplanes followed by a bus ride from hell, little 2 year old Sam is a trooper..even enough energy left to make a little French girlfriend. and run around a play park in Italy the next day...what a life!
Wednesday October 08, 2003
cool cats in california
my brother Thomas, or the Tomster, is in LA today, Hollywood specifically. and i'm certain he's as sick of hearing about Arnold as we are. (keep in mind we live half way round the world from that damn recall vote and it's still on the tv endlessly). but if Affable Dan is anything like i remember, they aren't paying too much attention to that kind of stuff anyway...my bet is they are concocting Running Man Martinis or Tangeray Terminators. those kids, too cool for my boots.
speaking of California, just got word that The Balls will be in attendance at Angel and Dan's (the Other Dan) wedding in Savannah..woo hoo! good times to come! now that i live in Cannes, am i too posh for Pinkie Master's? :)
no fur flying so far
Miss Jack the cat is winning the battle at Chez Dom et Dale...she thinks she is a person of course. and now Ruby thinks maybe she might be a cat...she keeps jumping up on counters and table tops cat-style. i nearly lost it laughing when she scrambled up and tried to walk on the edge of the bathtub only to go sliding down in and give herself a good scare.
Erin and baby Sam arrive early tomorrow afternoon. another number 200 bus ride..yeah me.
Tuesday October 07, 2003
on la route again
think driving in France is scary?!? (home of the roundabout, 13 year olds on scooters, mad motorbike drivers, indicator ignorance, guerrilla-style parking and delivery vans with a license to demolish).
try doing it in a circa '72-'73 Mini Cooper!!!! the last thing i used that had a 'choke' was a lawnmower, and that was fifteen years ago.
but, no worries, only my nerves are shot. one more trip for a box of painting supplies or two and i can park her for awhile. though..it is awfully nice to have wheels again...
Miss Jack the cat jumped up on my lap this afternoon. i think we're going to get on just fine. Miss Ruby seems a bit jealous already.
Monday October 06, 2003
have trolley, will travel
it's taken me all day to sort out my room, organize, clean and pack up for the move to Cannes. how on earth did i accumulate so much stuff in so little time? didn't i arrive with just two medium suitcases? ugh.
Sunday October 05, 2003
Bon Voyage!
Miss Liz has left yesterday for her holiday in the UK. Mom and i had our regular bi-weekly supper at DeCito's last night in her honor. oh wait, she's British, so that's 'honour'. it's only a few weeks, but she'll be missed! i'll also be missing my "did we really drink that much wine?"-partner, as Dom and Dale left on Friday for their term (6 to 9 months) in the UK as well...not a jail term mind you, Dom will be setting up the kitchen in her parent's new pub.
i'll be heading over to Cannes early this week to begin looking after their flat and young Jack, the doorstop-fiddling cat. Ruby vs. Jack looks to be an interesting skirmish, though Jack is the odds-on favorite. (Ruby really is a big chicken).
so, i've been holding off the announcement until all the details were sorted, which they now are. i'm moving to Cannes! (for the time being anyway). i'm looking forward to getting to know a new town, having some alone time, a larger front room for larger painting experiments and kitchen big enough for entertaining from time to time. i'll miss mom's dinners though, and Uncle Berts bert-isms..but not to worry, it's only a ten minute train ride away. and i'll be sure to be around, back and forth quite frequently.
Saturday October 04, 2003
Happy First Birthday Grace!
mom finally finished up the sweater she started knitting when she was born, just in time for Grace's first birthday party this afternoon. being surrounded by little ones was good practice for young Sam's pending arrival...or was it proof positive of my awkwardness with the under 5 set?
phobias are quirky, right? guys think that, right?
Erin and husband Doug and baby Sam at a UW Madison Badgers football game...i just couldn't bring myself to post the one with Daddy and son and BUCKY BADGER...sorry, but furries frighten me. and sports furries? (shiver)
my friend Erin from highschool (that's starting to sound like one big long name--Erin From-Highschool) is coming for a visit next week! with her son Sam, whom i have never met before, aside from that baby shower weekend when i saw the shape of his foot through his momma's belly. (i'm still hoping i did i pretty good job of making an 'oh isn't that a sweet miracle of life' face instead of the 'oh my dear god that's the grossest thing i've ever seen' face.) let's just say that my abilities with children are on about the same level as my abilities with houseplants. for those not in the know, i never actually had a houseplant IN my house because they frighten me. if you think about it long enough you realize that GROWING is in fact a form of MOVING. and then forever after, houseplants are just creepy.
ok, so that whole thing came out completely wrong. i am of course, very much looking forward to spending time with my friend and her lovely little boy. as long as they don't bring a badger or a fern.
Friday October 03, 2003
strangers we have known
my brother Thomas (this is my favorite picture of us together, second only to the one where all three Mikkelsen siblings have the same haircut --and are not toddlers at the time) heads out to California via Amtrak train this weekend for a job interview in Los Angeles. he's going to be staying with my ever cheerful friend Dan...whom he has never met before. i have no worries though because Dan, a young hipster himself, is as hospitable and charming as anyone i know. and Thomas is a gracious guest. they should get on like a house on fire. and if it does go 'pear shaped' (what exactly does that mean anyway? being pear shaped myself, i can't help but be a little bent out of shape over that phrase), it's only two nights, so no worries.
siesta avec la chienne
Mom and Ruby take their afternoon nap together everyday...and are so accustomed to each other that they've begun to mirror their sleeping positions. when i'm trying to sneak through the bedroom to the balcony the scene is cute, though a bit creepy.
and yes, that is a tattoo.
Thursday October 02, 2003
those crazy kids
mom's advice to my brother Thomas regarding his upcoming job interview: "Don't get stoned the night before." aw, mom always with the words of wisdom.
mom:"you always use that funny gray." me: "step away from the easel!"
Rue Docteur Rostan After Rain, acrylic and charcoal on board, 21" x 25.5"
finished, much better photo. i quite like it, despite the 'funny gray'.
Salut Savannah!
i'm going home! well, for a short visit anyway. i've booked my flight..i'll be in Savannah for Angel and Dan's wedding Nov.2 through Nov. 12. i can't wait to see everyone i've been missing! and i even get to stay in my own happy little home...i've missed my little balcony (pictured above) and view of the square..what's the name of that square again? i never can remember that....
