girl at large

coming down

Ruby is passed out, sprawled out, limbs splayed....chocolate hang-over, she's done and crashed from the caffeine high at last.

Madame Capitaine

well, it is official! Mom has bought her sailboat! 7m, sleeps 3 (4 if you are really familiar), roller reefing, spinnaker, etc. it will take a few weeks to get her in sailing shape, and there is work to be done on the interior over the summer, but it will be a fun project and she is looking forward to making it her own. she's chosen her "colors" (so girly) already! working name: "La Tishie Mae" (mom's childhood knickname was Tishie Mae) as Uncle Bert says, "Hey, like, most of the world is water".

pas du chocolat

had dinner the other night at Maria's....well, all the girls are watching their figures for "season", so an otherwise fabulous meal, but no dessert. riding home, we were thinking lovingly of the box of high-end gourmet chocolates we had sitting next to the bottle of evening port back home. turn the key, open the door to the usual wags and spins from Miss Ruby.....and scraps of chocolate wrappings all over the floor!! she had eaten the ENTIRE box! it had to be nearly 30 worth of chocolates...liquor-filled, double dipped, nougat centers...all gone! i swear she licked the wax paper clean. ok, so i have to admit it was my second thought that indeed chocolate is very,very bad (even fatal for some breeds) for dogs. she, luckily, was just fine...though extremely hyper (double the just plain hyper she usually is) for about 30 hours. mom, on the other hand was distraught. (not about the dog mind you!) her first thought....do we just put her out in the trash if she kicks it? (accompanied by mimiced doggie paws up in the air) nice, thanks alot mom.

vroom vroom

my brother, Thomas, bought a motorcycle. i hate to think of his brains as pavement-spaghetti, but i do have fond memories of riding on the back of one of my old boyfriend's bikes in the midwestern summertime. i'd never work up the courage (or the !), but i lust after a vintage Vespa myself.

what would the Thiesen Tigers think?

i am still pleasantly surprised to take Miss Ruby out on our morning walk, down the block, turn the corner, and , there it is...Port Vauban...thousands of white boats; sailboats, schooners, fishing trollers, stink pots, shiek yachts and all the rest...just sitting right there on the blue water, swaying a bit some days. and there i am, a chubby pasty girl from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, standing in the Mediteranian morning sun, plastic dog-poop-bags in hand, dumbstruck.

Ventimille

we went to Ventimille, just across the border into Italy (a little over an hour by train) this afternoon for a little shopping at the big outdoor market....leather goods, bags, belts, shoes, bedding, jewelry, you name it...and of course, parmesean cheese. very nice. somehow, i ended up with two backpacks..neither of which is big enough to actually use for school (which starts on Tuesday) but boy, are they good-lookin'!

La Gaffe

La Gaffe....two-for-one well drinks on wednesday nights, live cover band (mediocre) and heavy beer-goggle firting after midnight...funny, it could have been any bar in any town with a decent post-college 20/30-something population...drink deals, long bathroom lines, slutty jeans and too-loud boy band music is international. (Genna's, Pinky's, Mercury, and now La Gaffe) don't get me wrong, i had a very good time.

hooked

i crocheted a hat today! an entire hat in one day, all by my lonesome! okay, so it's a little baby hat for Grace, but that still counts! jeez, am i going to be the spinster living with mom and the lap dog, knitting and crocheting my days away? is it that awful if its on a sailboat in the south of France? i think i can live with that.

a lesson in "creative" french usage

i went to one of the local baby shops this afternoon to pick up an item for mom, the babysitter (she watches our friend Maria's 6 month old Grace a few mornings each week)...one of those rolling walkers, you know the type? a flying saucer with a sling seat, plastic tray and wheels for scooting around just prior to really walking. do they have a name in English? if so, i don't know it. ok, now try to think of the name IN FRENCH! this is what i came up with: "Bonjour Madame, excusez moi s'il vous plait de vous deranger, mais j'ai un question. je cherche une petite voiture pour un enfant qui voudrait marcher. C'est comme une circle avec des tyres qu'elle peut assieor dans. Est-ce que vous avez quelque chose comme ca?" translation: "Hello Madame, I'm sorry to bother you, but I have a question please. I'm looking for a small car for a baby who wants to walk. It's like a circle with tires that she can sit in. Do you have something like that?" believe it or not, it worked!

mom's boat

Bert, Mom and i went to check out the sailboat today....she's a pretty little boat. in need of some love and elbow grease, but i think this is the one for Mom. up to 6 can sail, it can comfortably sleep 3-4, and she has something called "roller reefing" which as i understand it is not just a teenage passtime. should take only three or four more "committee" meetings with seller to seal the deal. must download sailing terms to palmpilot. didn't i see a french/english sailing terms dictionary online once?

ok mom, enough about the

ok mom, enough about the bras.

miss kate

i got mademoiselle-d twice yesterday! when you are madame-d an average of 15 times each day as you go about your usual business, the rare mademoiselle is a moment of pause (and inner glee)...why did i get that? you think. was it the age difference? (age of vendor/greeter vs. your age is in direct proportion to mme/mlle quotient) was it the outfit? was it just a Monet? (looking younger in the darkness and distance of the doorway) after careful study of this phenomenon, i do believe it is most ofen the outfit. ive divided my wardrobe into Madame and Mademoiselle.

"je rougis!"

aunt Anna has made me blush, she gave my little ol' blog such a glowing 'review'...the idea of writing short stories (or even a little book after the year is up) keeps coming up, knocking around. only i've kept knocking it back; that little low-confidence monster has been keeping house. hmmm, have to give it some serious thought. have been giving it some serious thought to be accurate...see 03/18/03 entry. -particularly bugging me that this week alone i've read no less than three articles that i've previously written in my own mind! various subjects, but most pertaining to the american experience abroad at the moment.

this is a classic

from the french blog: "You know the world is going insane when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, The Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the US of arrogance, and Germany doesn't want to go to war." but that is all i'm going to say about politics right now. politics, sex and religion...the three subjects one doesn't discuss with loved ones or in polite company!

bloggin' international style

this is so cool. my brother Thomas' blog was mentioned in another, french, blog! (and just as cool..i was able to complete his translation request no problem!!) translation: "As long as I am talking politics, I advise you to see the blog of Thomas Noe. I very much like his way of approaching these things."

mom's blog

mom has begun to use her Blog..look for interesting and 'only Mom' style entries on her life in France at www.pquinlan.blogspot.com or use the handy MOM link on the left. the weather is not cooperating with my sunbathing needs today, so just some light reading and housekeeping instead. i'm looking forward to classes starting up soon as i am as yet unaccustomed to this much leisure time. i know, i know, i suck. sorry.

mommy always said "say please"

i had a very successful day speaking french today! miss Maria and i went shopping in Nice (after a lovely visit to the Matisse museum!) and i found it very easy to converse...when i want to buy something, boy can i figure out how to say it! it is particularly charming when a clerk wants to practice their english with you! if they are learning too, they have endless patience and understanding! a little english, a little french and we usually get it figured out! and the two magic phrases really open up the french heart...Excusez moi Madame, de vous deranger, mais j'ai une questionne s'il vous plait...and...Excusez moi Madame, je peux parler francais mais je ne suis pas tousjours sur....you wouldn't believe the trouble they will go to to help you once you've said those very polite words...the gal at the yarn shop sold me HER PERSONAL COPY of a crochet instruction book i couldn't find anywhere else!!

at least CNN has something to cover

oh yeah, the war thing sucks. freedom fries? come on, give me a break.

soleil

sun, sun, sun....and i am even getting a bit of a tan if you can believe it! my favorite description of my particular skin color...my french professeur actually said "comme asprine" ! uncroyable! uncle Bert has returned from his adventure in Corsica with the Russian millionaire (turns out he controls all the salt mines in Russia), his mistress and Phil the boat capitain. As Bert says, "man, does this guy know how to live!" Bert drove the multi-million dollar boat, dined on lobster with Monsieur and stayed in the guest cabin. it could only happen to Bert!! he took pictures, i dropped them off for developing today...it should be interesting. he says Corsica is "just like Door County but with mountains"

same shit/new place

i have no idea what i want to do for the rest of my life. ok, so i know what i WANT to do, but i don't have any idea how to procede. i cannot seem to locate the groove or whatever inside that's supposed to tell you 'you can do this', etc. i wish someone would just walk up to me and say, "Here, do this, you'll like it." bonus if it managed to pay the rent too. why am i obsessed with this stuff at this moment? when i don't have to be? at least not for nine more months? ugh.

good light/in good time

took some pictures with the digital camera today while we were out at the cafe enjoying the sun...Maria's baby girl Grace is an irresistable subject of course. they turned out great, but you cannot help but take great shots here...the sun is freakin' amazing..it seems to glow from every direction, you have to try hard to take a bad photograph. of course, i'm sure you've noticed that i don't have any of these wonderful photos online yet..have patience, i'm still trying to get that worked out. the email/photo function isn't working right and the blog upload is taking too long..it keeps timing out on this ancient 54k connection. cross your fingers that the DSL due in a few weeks will be much better. (it takes sooo much longer to get anything done here, but that's ok because appreciation has an entirely new meaning...)

email

big thanks to my brother, Thomas for adding a nifty little number to my blog..see my name in orange under the posts? click that and you can directly email me! very nice.

beaux-arts

the art school (i use that term very loosely) i will be attending in two weeks finally completed the english (again, loosely) side of their website. it might be just the right thing for me, i'm looking forward to it. with only 20 students, it certainly will be intimate!

"Ruuuhhbeubie!"

miss ruby and i went for a long walk in the sun along the ramparts by the sea this afternoon..there is a spot were cobblestone steps lead right down to the rocks and the white waves...she can run about a bit without her lead, investigating the stones and leaping back from and/or barking at waves. great fun! she came running back when i called her, full steam ahead...and then right past me! back up the steps and onto the promenade at a fast clip..i scrambled up behind her, calling "Ruby! Ruby!"...as i came over the steep edge to the gravel broadway Ruby was still running, only now a dozen sunning french gals were smiling, laughing and also calling.."Ruby! Ruby!" only it comes out more "Ruuhheubie! Ruuhheubie!" after greeting every smiling french face with a little dancing leap and much tail wagging, she sauntered back to me (and the lead) as though she hadn't a care in the world. she's right, we didn't really have a care in the world at all today.

the millionaire, the mistress and uncle bert

uncle Bert took the ferry from Nice to the island of Corsica yesterday with his bicyclette for a few days away...planning a simple touring trip, biking around, doing some quiet exploring and crossing his fingers that he would find a hotel. an hour or so after he left (rolling down the cobblestoned street, backpack on, wicker basket on the bike) our friend Maria called, "Is Bert still going to Corsica?" "Yes, he's on the ferry now, should be in at 5, why?" turns out Maria's husband was in Corsica too, captaining his millionaire bosses stink pot (local speak for non-sail boat) yacht. the millionaire Ruskie's (we don't ask what he does, we like our kneecaps!) "it-girl" mistress was complaining about the weather and they were going to fly out early direct from the island. that would leave Phil to get the boat back to port in Nice alone, did we think Bert would want to join him? Phil called later that night while we were enjoying a great meal at Maria's (she's a first class professional chef)....Phil had met Bert at the ferry dock and all of them were having dinner together! the English yacht master, the millionaire Russian, his floozy mistress and uncle Bert. it could only happen to Bert.

i officially know just enough french to embarrass myself entirely

yesterday was my last day of french classes. je suis triste parce que j'ai les adorees. i was given a nifty, very official looking (three signatures, an embossed heading and two stamps; the french adore stamps!) certificate of completion. mother prefers to think of it as a diploma. she stuck the damn thing up on the wall. well, after my having GED'd out of highschool and left how many (?) colleges sans diplome, i suppose the woman deserves something, right? i could put the dog obedience training certificate next to it.

bienvenue! vous avez des emails!

online at home! mom had to steal an AOL start up disk to make it happen, but you know mom...if the law needs bending to get something done, damn it she will! (it was driving her crazy to wait ...the idea of such an expensive paperwieght was killing her...)

not your usual salad days

mom and i had a little lunch at Pimm's cafe (outside in the sunshine!) this afternoon. ok, so it was just a salad, but my god what a salad. basil, mint, three kinds of lettuce, pruscuito (more specifically parma), fresh goats cheese (you know how i feel about that stuff), tomatoes, pine nuts and figs with a very light cucumber cream dressing. i adore the food here...fresh, REAL and actually pretty easy to duplicate. i know three chefs just off hand and am learning more about good food everyday. i should find a cooking class or something...i did find that Introduction to the World of French Cheeses weekend seminar..... i'm not kidding.

an ordinateur day

Frank called yesterday to schedule our liavrison! the mac G4 ordinateur will be delivered and set up on Friday afternoon. i have alot of pictures to get up! stay tuned.

spam

i just checked my secondary email address...the one i use for 'surfing', online purchases, etc. there were 606 junk emails. that is beyond excessive.

au revoir professeur!

C'est la dernier semaine a l'ecole! Je suis en peu triste parce que je l'aime. Quand j'allerai a l'autre ecole (des beaux-arts) je pense que je n'ai plus desolee. Mais, je dois perserver les etudies et continuer a travaille. Cette semaine, je peux parler meilleur, mais qu'est qu'il passe semaine prochaine?!

Aix-en-Provence

a weekend away....went by car on the A8 with Mom and uncle Bert to Aix-en-Provence, a good size town only about 1 1/2 hours drive west/northwest of Antibes. unlike the USA the terrain here changes dramatically in just a few miles; within minutes you are above sea level, heading into foothills and forests and well on your way to having lunch at the foot of a mountain. Mom found a lovely hotel in one of her library of french travel guides and we enjoyed a fabulous traditional french dinner last night...five courses, fresh seafood, wine made literally across the street, the traditional cheese course (oooh! how i love that!), dessert and cafe of course. lovely! the town was nice too. Ruby turned out to be the best traveler...i get a little queasy with carsickness, Mom is a back seat driver/control freak and driver Bert...well, Bert is just Bert (-'oh what is that! look at that! what do you think that is?' Bert! look at the road!") Ruby didn't bat an eyelash at the car travel, the new surroundings, sitting under the table for hours at a time, etc...she's my little trooper!

Nous

class outing today to the marche in Nice, complete with assignments...talk to the vendors and get answers to the following questions... the poor Japonese gals..they are so shy. it was not that much fun really, because it was so cheesy. the conversations are much different when you are an actual customer! the difference between a visitor and a resident (no matter the origin) was painfully clear. it felt good though to know that i have learned how to make my way through the local customs/manners/ways. there comes a point at which you do feel it is a little less "me vs. them" and more "us". a good feeling.

sweater bunnies

the new bra has dramatically changed my outlook on life...literally...i'm standing nearly 1/2 an inch taller i swear. and the gals are casting shadows.

gorge-ous

ok, that's it, i can die a happy woman! a very happy large-busted woman! imagine the scene: a small wood paneled room in the back of the boutique, three, four no-five! little ladies circa 1958 standing about, ready to help Madame choose une gorge supere sexy! first, a proper measuring up, then try one on to be certain the fit is correct...of course, to determine this, each little lady must inspect it personally (this involves lots of handling and touching of the contents!) and confer (again, the french committee!). upon agreement, a selection (6 or 8) in various colors and styles (but all, at my request, tres forte) to try. and each one, examined, adjusted and judged. don't bother closing the fitting room curtain! and of course, there is the obligatory matching undies for the prettiest bra...and the sizing up is just as important and expert for that department as well. these are the best damn bras i have ever seen in my life! gorgeous, colorful, detailed, feminine and built like the Hoover Dam. i swear to god, they changed my posture and took off at least ten pounds. they reintroduced me to my nipples! you do not even want to know how much $. but can you really put a price on an outstanding set of knockers?

Uncle Bert-isms

"if there is a big hole in the shelf, it has to be a good deal, doesn't it? i mean, the french are buying it, so it must be a bargain!" -in reference to the remaining two bottles of 1.95 wine at Carrefour (comme Target) "i think she really likes me, she was flirting with me so much it was almost embarrassing" -the girl behind the counter at the bakery was helpful "it didn't look that far" -after riding his bicycle from Antibes to Nice proper....six hours total

sunshine day

the weather is gorgeous today! il fait tres beau au'jourd'hui! i'm sure i've spelled that wrong, but whatever. you get my drift. its finally staying warm and sunny, displaying at last the gorgeous weather mom promised! (she forgets how warm Savannah can be, i've been so cold here the first six weeks or so..could never get truly warm!) going bra shopping this afternoon...an ambitious endeavor to say the least.

translator required

will someone please, please, please tell me why men don't get it?!?! if a girl asks you what you are doing this weekend do not , i repeat do not reply with a list of things (as long as an arm!) that you are doing WITHOUT her! she's asking if you want to do something with (or perhaps to!) her numbskull.

a little something for the fridge

i received my written progress report today from french language school... i have made 'tremendous progress' and contrary to popular belief, my accent is quite good! i do feel a bit better about my oral (be quiet!) abilities lately...but my nerves often fail me at critical moments. if only i could wear a big sign..."I am learning to speak French, please do not go immediately into English when I falter..just give me a moment longer! Merci" i can tell you one thing, nothing beats the occasional urgent situation to speed up your foreign language learning curve...first i had the injured dog incident, and today i had to make an appointment in french over the phone (not an easy task!) with a dentist for mom...last night, her crown came out in a piece of caramel! it is really superier caramel. sadly, it wasn't the best crown. good news: Napo is feeling much better today and is happy to be home despite the stitches, thrice daily injections and plastic head cone.