News of All Sorts
I have so many pictures to post, I don't even know where to start. We're home from New York. It was a lovely trip (you'll see the pics), but we're so glad to be back with our kitties for a few days. We don't like driving that far, we've decided. And we like these cats. Several times a day we lament leaving them for a month while we're in Europe. If we could take them and not make them miserable, we would.
(Gratuitous picture of the kitties. The one on the right is the baby, left is the mama. He is enormous.)
(And one of Sam's kitty, Tadzio, T-Todd, etc. He's gorgeous, no? He's like a male cat model.)
Anyway, before I plaster pictures, here are a few random bits of information:
*The day before we left, my car stopped working. Wouldn't start. Apparently I have bought the precise make and year of a Toyota with a defective computer. All of the computers on this particular car go out sooner or later. There isn't a recall on the part. My warranty doesn't cover it. And the used part won't cut it for some complicated reason. Hello, $1000 repair. Niiiicce. The good news is, we weren't driving 80mph down I-90 when it stopped running, which has happened to many a panicked 2006 Corolla owner, apparently.
*My pants ripped in Jane's Diner, a trashy eatery outside of Binghamton, NY. I sat down with them intact, and stood up with a big split. No idea how this happened. New pants, not particularly tight. "Sam!" I squeaked, then realized that announcing the trouble was probably not a good idea. I slipped into the restroom, tied my jacket around my waist, then shimmied my way into jeans in the front seat of the car.
*Sam has a job interview! This is exciting. At least, I'm excited. It's not his ideal gig, so he's less enthused. But I think it'll be an excellent step on his way to fame and fortune. Only trouble is, all the interview times are while we're in Europe, which brings us to the next piece of news.
*I'm going to Paris alone. At least at first. I'll leave Tuesday, Sam will interview Wednesday, then fly out that night. Do I speak French? No, no I don't. Bonjour, that's what I've got. I'm frightened.
*Speaking of Paris, is the Louvre worth it? I realize this is a blasphemous question. But for those of you who have been there, is it worth the time/money? My understanding is that it's enormous, that you need days to go through it, that seeing the Mona Lisa is sort of a silly experience, etc. We're planning on the d'Orsay, but we're still contemplating the Louvre. Any thoughts?
*I was a bad vegan in NY. A very bad vegan, indeed. Well, I tried. But in some of these places there were just no options. For example, in Palmyra. Have you been to Palmyra? There were seriously like two places to eat and they were both terrible. I could have been vegan if I ate french fries and/or iceberg lettuce. And I failed to explain to the bed and breakfast owner how to feed me breakfast, so that didn't go too great either (blueberry pancakes, strawberry-stuffed french toast, etc. yummy, yes. but that kind of breakfast makes me so sick). I didn't eat meat because I've pretty much completely lost my interest in it. I'm trying to figure out what I'll do in Europe, because I don't want to feel yucky, but I want yogurt and gelato and French cheese and chocolate and pastries. All in moderation, of course. Righto. Sigh. I like being vegan, like how I feel when I eat whole, healthy foods. But I may suspend the operation for the time being. We'll see.
I think that's it for news, just when you thought I'd never shut up.
I leave you with a picture near our house. The Charles River in springtime. See how she sparkles.
(Gratuitous picture of the kitties. The one on the right is the baby, left is the mama. He is enormous.)
(And one of Sam's kitty, Tadzio, T-Todd, etc. He's gorgeous, no? He's like a male cat model.)
Anyway, before I plaster pictures, here are a few random bits of information:
*The day before we left, my car stopped working. Wouldn't start. Apparently I have bought the precise make and year of a Toyota with a defective computer. All of the computers on this particular car go out sooner or later. There isn't a recall on the part. My warranty doesn't cover it. And the used part won't cut it for some complicated reason. Hello, $1000 repair. Niiiicce. The good news is, we weren't driving 80mph down I-90 when it stopped running, which has happened to many a panicked 2006 Corolla owner, apparently.
*My pants ripped in Jane's Diner, a trashy eatery outside of Binghamton, NY. I sat down with them intact, and stood up with a big split. No idea how this happened. New pants, not particularly tight. "Sam!" I squeaked, then realized that announcing the trouble was probably not a good idea. I slipped into the restroom, tied my jacket around my waist, then shimmied my way into jeans in the front seat of the car.
*Sam has a job interview! This is exciting. At least, I'm excited. It's not his ideal gig, so he's less enthused. But I think it'll be an excellent step on his way to fame and fortune. Only trouble is, all the interview times are while we're in Europe, which brings us to the next piece of news.
*I'm going to Paris alone. At least at first. I'll leave Tuesday, Sam will interview Wednesday, then fly out that night. Do I speak French? No, no I don't. Bonjour, that's what I've got. I'm frightened.
*Speaking of Paris, is the Louvre worth it? I realize this is a blasphemous question. But for those of you who have been there, is it worth the time/money? My understanding is that it's enormous, that you need days to go through it, that seeing the Mona Lisa is sort of a silly experience, etc. We're planning on the d'Orsay, but we're still contemplating the Louvre. Any thoughts?
*I was a bad vegan in NY. A very bad vegan, indeed. Well, I tried. But in some of these places there were just no options. For example, in Palmyra. Have you been to Palmyra? There were seriously like two places to eat and they were both terrible. I could have been vegan if I ate french fries and/or iceberg lettuce. And I failed to explain to the bed and breakfast owner how to feed me breakfast, so that didn't go too great either (blueberry pancakes, strawberry-stuffed french toast, etc. yummy, yes. but that kind of breakfast makes me so sick). I didn't eat meat because I've pretty much completely lost my interest in it. I'm trying to figure out what I'll do in Europe, because I don't want to feel yucky, but I want yogurt and gelato and French cheese and chocolate and pastries. All in moderation, of course. Righto. Sigh. I like being vegan, like how I feel when I eat whole, healthy foods. But I may suspend the operation for the time being. We'll see.
I think that's it for news, just when you thought I'd never shut up.
I leave you with a picture near our house. The Charles River in springtime. See how she sparkles.
Comments
I have often contemplated what I will do with food when we eventually make it to Europe. Good luck with that. And French.
after this last comment. Sorry to hear about the ripped pants. Remember my ripped jeans that you helped me destroy and make you happy at the same time? hehe
The Louvre is great as long as you don't make yourself feel obligated to see EVERYTHING. I spent an afternoon there while my parents rushed to hospital to get my dad's face stitched up (an accident with a street lamp) and it just felt like a nice, big, meditative space. Go there if you have the time to feel that way about it. Otherwise, it might feel like one big rush.
Blah, blah, blah. My comment's long. Sorry.