Updates

Anyone remember that '80s TV commercial that went, when a man you've never met suddenly gives you flowers, that's -- what was it an ad for, anyway? Cheap perfume? Intimate cleanser? I don't remember, but I must have been wearing some unwittingly the other day, because Cami and I were sitting at a cafe on the Rue Montorgeuil commenting on the children, wardrobes, and sexual preferences of passersby when a lady from the flower shop across the street came over and handed me a white rose. "It's a gift from someone, but I can't tell you who he is," she said, discreetly rolling her eyes. "This is why I could never be straight," C. declared, "boys are so presumptuous." When the cafe proprietor offered us a glass of water to use as a makeshift vase, we asked if he knew the identity of my mystery suitor. He didn't have a clue, but had figured out that we were a couple and joked that it was probably a girl who wanted to steal me away. Then he marched over to the florist to investigate. "I know who it wa-as," he sang, breezing past our table, "he's got a beard and is very hairy."  Ooh, just my type. Hey, secret admirer -- thanks for the beautiful flower. If you're willing to switch teams, I know a lot of guys who are into the bear type. I could hook you up.

On an unrelated note, I love my low-paying job in the independent childcare industry. I do! It reminds me of the episode of Will & Grace guest-starring Demi Moore as Jack's old baby-sitter who's still baby-sitting after all these years. The weirdest thing is that the parents are about my age. I've already read half the books on their shelves. I want to borrow their Beastie Boys CD. The little Nugget and I get along very well. We have a very similar vocabulary in French, and his English is improving by the second, thanks to the British Thomas the Tank Engine DVD he watches six times a day There is really nothing cuter on this earth than a French four year-old saying, "Oh, Bother!" except maybe the part where he says "co-co-coooold" and buries himself in my arms after his bath.

Jodie came back from the Mac hospital this week with a brand new Parisian makeover featuring a French keyboard - the iBook equivalent of the vaguely irritating, yet oh so stylish scarf. She looks so slim and chic. If only I could get her to stop smoking.

Meal of the Week: Duck breast with riz rouge de Camargue, prepared by Charly and Amy from a recipe provided by Ben and Julie, followed by three knee-weakening cheeses and Amy's homebaked grand marnier-chocolate cake. I was bragging about being a bottomless pit who could eat anyone under the table (oh god that sounds dirty), but sometime after I got home and scarfed another slice of cake from our doggy bag, the bottomless pit just...closed up and even Alka Seltzer couldn't rescue me. I don't regret a single bite, though -- except maybe that last one.

Movie of the Week: Last Days, Gus Van Sant's Kurt Cobain movie. I'm glad it had subtitles because I couldn't understand a word Michal Pitt said the whole time. Still trying to figure out if I liked it or not. I definitely liked the Kim Gordon scene, which was in there, even though according to Manolo Blahnik Manohla Dargis of the NY Times, it was cut out of the version they showed at Cannes.

Comments

[Baptiste]

The ad was for "Impulse" (http://www.unilever.co.uk/ourbrands/personalcare/impulse.asp), and it was the same in French :
"Quand un inconnu vous offre des fleurs... c'est l'effet Impulse..."
Have you checked the Liberation daily lately ? there's often "second chance" messages (like the "Missed Connections" on Craigslist)...

[alex]

so you like the french keyboard? me, i love the M where the semicolon normally is but the Q/A switch is not all that fun or exciting. also, having to hit the shift key to get numbers stresses me out. and the alt-gr thing? arg, i hate that. I actually use this symbol | (the pipe) often and having to figure out the difference between the two alt keys to get it pushed me over the edge. maybe if i needed to type in french i would learn to love the french keyboard...

[Guillaume]

you should see a franco-american two year-old waiving goodbye saying 'ciao! salut!', that's pretty cute to.

Can't wait to see Last Days...