Monaco, Day 2

Today was our first normal touristy day in Monaco (and, sadly, our last day altogether). After getting up and having lunch at what has become our "place" here in Monte Carlo, Bar Monaco,



We went to the Palais Princier and looked around in that part of the city. To get to the Palais, you have to walk up this winding hill that is part of the fortress of the castle. This is so great because it provides such wonderful views of the bay...






Up at the top of the hill, you can see the Palais, and you can go into a petit museum that has lots of treasures depicting Monaco's history as well as the Napoleonic era. Unfortunately they do not allow pictures in the museum; they had some very interesting things. I think my favorite display was a huge glass case shaped like a diamond that had all of the beautiful medals of honor bestowed on the princes. They were so beautiful--lots of jewels in exquisite designs. They also had some of the jeweled shoulder drapes that were beautiful as well.

After that, we walked around the older part of the city--lots of tiny, winding streets with cafés and souvenir shops. One of the most interesting things was the way the streets were connected to always come back to the palace. Of course, my favorite part was the "Parcours Princesse Grace"



We were able to find the cathedral where she got married, but couldn't find her grave. There was a part of the cathedral that was closed for renovation, and given the signs directing visitors in the museum, I assume that it was back there.





Needless to say, everything was so beautiful--there are so many amazing apartment buildings with rooftop gardens and yachts everywhere! It's definitely a place that pictures could never do justice, and when you describe it you run out of words for "beautiful", "amazing", "awesome".

We are back in the hotel now, getting ready to go to the Grand Casino after some dinner. I found a chic dress for 21e in the Centre Commercial--hopefully the dress and my accessories will override the boots that I have to wear. I'm sure that Jerry will look very handsome in his tux, so maybe they won't even see me! Don't worry, pictures to come of our James Bond experience!

Monaco, Day 1.5

Et, nous voilà à Monte Carlo! After a long voyage (see Facebook posts as well as a possible future post of the email that I have sent to Delta--I'm worried that after reading that no one will want to be my friend...), we are finally here! Our hotel is super-cool and very modern...


our hotel is very much like a video game--here at the entrance there are some off-centered doorways in yellow neon, and then the reception desk is layered in neon...

our bed...katy perry watching over us for safety...


the egg toilet...

the hôtel ni bar...très chic and très cool...the walls change color....






So, despite the troubles with the baggage, all will be okay. Being with your true love in an amazing place conquers all--although I've had my moments of tears and frustration (thanks Mom and Jerry for all of your support...)--especially if you are in such an amazing place. I feel so much more fundamentally at ease in a European/Francophone way of life--things seem to make so much more sense to me, and to hear French everywhere is always a dream!

We went to the shopping center today to look for some inexpensive clothes to hold me over (until the AirFrance/Delta people stop laughing and possibly get a clue); I love stores like Carrefour--it is so exciting to encounter the differences and the similarities and remember previous experiences and create new ones. :)

We got a little bit of clothes for me and some 0.40e Perrier for Jerry (plus the vodka encased in it's own fur coat)



Jerry on frugality in Europe: "I feel better now that we've got vodka in the room" :) I found some 1.00e wine (which is much better than most of what we have over in the states) and now we are contemplating where to go for dinner.

so...although we love our hotel and our room, it's time for me to sign off for the dinner and the carnaval!

Beezous!

kittehs make everything better...

i want to live at this place of business...

back to school...

sometimes things just work out really well...after a decidedly difficult day today, three things happened today that made the world seem a little brighter. i have to admit, the idea of starting a new school year is very daunting.

i love my job; over the last year, it has often been what has seen me through some very difficult times. as i contemplated beginning a new year and thought about what i would like to change and what i would like to continue, i realized that it's hard to separate the different strands of life (work, friends, family, etc.) when you look back over a period of time. there have been many times over the past year when i thought that starting (another day, over, another class, lunch, a book, etc.) was too much, that it would take too much.

several times over the past couple of weeks i've really struggled with the question of expectations--who is right? the person who quotes les brown, saying "shoot for the moon. even if you miss it you will land among the stars" or the person who decides not to expect anything, because then you'll never be disappointed? i have tended towards the second one over the last several weeks, but maybe the answer is actually somewhere between the two?

i guess the past year has made me a little hesitant to go entirely with mr. brown, but i'm trying to get back to that viewpoint. on that note, back to the three great things that happened today...it just so happened that just as i was really dreading going out to exercise and wishing that i could just talk and get all of this scary out, my phone rang. i didn't think i would get to talk to my mom for several days, but, just like always, she seemed to have a second sense, and guess who was on the other line. and, just like always, her positive attitude, listening ear, and good advice were amazing blessings. following that conversation, i felt reenergized and had a great walk. in atlanta, i had a perfect walking route, and i've really missed that here. in some ways, that's been one thing that has made it hard to get back on track with the exercise after having mono. but today, i took a new turn--went another way--and found a really nice street with beautiful scenery. it was so nice to get out in my neighborhood and find new things to admire and new kittehs to play with on the way.

not to mention the great road sign fail that i saw on the way...



to cap it all off, when i returned chez moi, i found that the new edition of one of my two favorite magazines, cooking light, had arrived, with an especially interesting article: "deciding to be happier" (by kate meyers). this was so amazing to me, given the fact that my normally hopeful and happy self has been a little doubtful over the past couple of weeks. i liked the article and highly recommend that everyone read it. ms. meyer's conclusion is that "happiness is a lot like healthy eating or exercise--simple advice, hard to implement. the work is constant." it made me smile for two reasons--first, it was a nice reminder that i am a happy and hopeful person for whom happiness is not a super-hard, conscious effort. second, it was nice to be reminded that everyone, usually happy or not, has times in her life when she has to consciously decide to be happy with what is going on, whether that's three little beautiful things each day, or a million different kinds of beautiful things each day.

after reading this article, i realized that i've slacked on my three beautiful things; that is to say, i've sometimes been neglecting to conduct what ms. meyers calls the "appreciation audit"--basically, to look for the good things that make us happy, no matter how big or how small, in our everyday lives.

yes, the past year has been hard. but at the same time, i have so many things to be thankful for: a wonderful family, a fantastic relationship with an amazing guy, awesome friends, a great job doing something that i love, coworkers that i like and respect, a place to sleep comfortably at night, cuddly pets, good books...

i think that instead of trying to decide how much to expect, it's important to focus on the beautiful things in life. perhaps then the relationship between expectations and the fear of disappointment will become less important, because it will be easier to focus on good things and how they change life for the better.

looking for hammy when i come in the door...

just shared this with a friend, and felt the urge to post...

"'We are still with you if you would just see us. I was your heartdog; but here we are everyone's.' Suddenly it became so clear to me. Finally I understood. They are now a part of that light from which all good things flow. They are the hush we hear in the night after a snowfall; the sweet scent after a summer storm. They are the beauty we see each Spring when the hills are bathed in hues of red, yellow and blue on a bed of green. They are the warmth we feel from the sun touching our skin. They are all things eternal. The coldest of Winters will give way to Spring which in turn will step aside as Summer awakens from her sleep. Now they are part of this cycle once more.

Isabel M. Gordon (1996)

i need one of these...

...the kitteh, not the laundry basket...

the familiarity of being...

so for any of you that have talked to me recently or read my facebook posts, you know that hamilton has cancer, that it is incurable, and that right now we are in a holding pattern as to whether or not the medicines that we can give him will help him to enjoy at least a few more weeks (or maybe even a month or so) with us. it's a horrible place to be in as his owner--how do you balance the fact that you can't imagine what it would be like to not have him by your side every day, but also the fact that he's not comfortable and the very least that one can do for such a good buddy is to be unselfish and to help him to be as comfortable as possible.

terminal illnesses always seem unjust--probably because they are. and despite the fact that some might say that hamilton is "just a dog", this post is dedicated to him and to all of his people that have loved and cuddled him, who have appreciated the humor, irony, and devotion inherent in his little being. to those of you who knew him from that first day that the westie rescue brought him to the apartment in bellevue, and those of you who have just now met him in clemson and greenville. to those of you who have turned off at a sonic restaurant especially for him, who have fed him hot dogs, and who know the feeling of just wanting to go home and take a nap on a rainy day with the cuddliest westie ever.

even though hamilton can't bark, we know he is "a storyteller with his eyes". it doesn't ever matter exactly where he is, as long as he has people that he loves and knows around him. we know that he loves to sleep on leather couches so that he doesn't have to get up when he gets hot. he loves to have his ears rubbed, and he loves to run around aunt sara's camp "naked". his favorite dog in the world is pepper/steve. he would do anything he could to protect the people that he loves and make them feel good. he can lick a plate or bowl until it is more than cleaned off or it disappears underneath a couch. A is for army. we all love (in a special way) the coughing that happens after he drinks some water.

we all know he's a good buddy...the best.

so here's to hamilton...aka hammy, hamster, buddy, buhbuh, buh, bud bud brooks, widgie woo, hoogie boogie, hamma lama ding dong...or whatever else you know him by...and here's to all of the canine companions like him who have guarded our hearts and have always been there for us.

"isn't that torrey pines road?" "no, it's la nino...oh...no, wait..."

i realized today that it's been awhile since i've posted anything, so i figured i'd give it a go tonight as i'm winding down and listening to the new pornographers' new cd. i had a great trip to san diego for my first national conference...it was a little intimidating, but i really enjoyed all of the technology and language learning presentations that i saw, and i actually enjoyed presenting my work. i was nervous at first, but found the groove after a minute or so. the hotel was beautiful, and we were able to relax a little bit before the festivities started on friday night. saturday night, we ventured into la jolla--BEAUTIFUL--then sunday after the workshop, we went to rancho bernardo, a local winery about 45 minutes from san diego. it was definitely worth going for 40 hours without sleep due to the return trip timing. although, if you had asked me that as i was lying on the airport floor or scraping chicken off of my packaged salad because the only vegetarian food at the airport was beer, i would have probably said the opposite!

here are a couple more pictures:













anyway, it's nice to be home again even though the trip was so fun. i definitely missed the pets and just having the weekend to mess around, sleep late, and hang out with friends! this weekend will be a good time for that definitely--looking forward to some fun stuff with friends and just getting things cleaned up around here so that i can enjoy my week off. oh, yeah, and grading exams! :)

the house is almost set up--still working on getting my clothes situated and the sh*t room organized. it's starting to feel like home now, however tiny it is! it has been hard to move and deal with everything in the middle of the semester, but i really do think it was for the best, because it forced me to learn new ways to handle life's curve balls.

okay, off to bed now to dream of my new macbook pro...can't wait until it arrives!!!

peeps ARE important!

i feel like all i've been posting lately is/are videos...well, can't help myself--here's another one!

for those few of you who don't know, i loooooooooove peeps! especially when they've been in the fridge for a few days and are a little crunchy...

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Easter Under Attack - Peeps Display
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

thanks for a great night, h.

send love and shimmers

so we have now found out that my friend's mom has breast cancer, not multiple myeloma. still an extremely hard diagnosis, but the doctor has pronounced good blood work and has said the crucial word "EARLY", so hope fills my heart as I know it does hers as well. please keep praying for/sending out healing vibes to/thinking of her and her family~~i truly believe they are helping.

on other fronts, going to lowe's today to get resources to hang pictures. i've realized that a house never really feels like a home until there is something interesting on the walls. i remember being totally unmotivated to hang pictures in my first apartment on north druid hills because the walls were a dark cherry pink. who needs pictures when you're dazzled by pure color with every glance?

but in my present living space i have what is, admittedly, the best neutral color on my walls, but it's not sparkly enough to slow the hanging of pictures.

there are only two real problems with the plan for hanging pictures that makes a trip to lowes essential--i have no tape measure, and the paintings by the greenville crazy lady on plywood are quite heavy and have no hanging mechanisms...sooooooooo...trip to lowes...wish me luck on my home improvement endeavors...

something to say

"watered by tears and fed by truth, my spirit revives"

life is life

i've just found out that my best friend's mother has been diagnosed with cancer--multiple myeloma.
i finished moving everything last night and felt a huge sense of relief. today has been a day of relaxation and serenity until i received the message from my friend...i am so glad that she called me to expand the enormous support network that she will have. i cannot even imagine what it is like for her to hear this news. if anyone is closer to their mother than i am, it would be this woman. her mother is a thoughtful, energetic, giving, and selfless person that has always been there for both of us--in fact, i consider her my second mother.
my friend is the strongest, most determined, most successful woman i know, and i am confident that this strength and determination will guide her through this journey and give her increased strength and wisdom for life ahead, whatever happens.

i guess the question may be: where is the balance of life? i know that the answer involves seeing the big picture, but what does that mean for the moments when we are mourning lost possibilities, doctors' determinations, and previews of what will come next? in my present situation (which can't compare to my friend's in the least), i have often wondered about this.
i feel in my deepest intuition that my friend's mother will get through this and be even more vibrant and active than she was before (a superior accomplishment, since she is so vibrant and active now!)
just some thoughts to put out there as i give my heart (as broken and unpolished as it is) to my friend and her family...
please pray, send wellness vibrations, or whatever, to her, her mother, and her family, even if you don't know them.

"yours, in professionalism, nard-dog"

so weird...yesterday (the first day of spring break) i was able to sleep late and hang out in a calm space, but today really seems like the first day of spring break! even though i had to be sure to get up at 8:00 AM to meet the piedmont natural gas worker, i felt so great!
note, however, that the rep from the gas company had a window from 8:00 to 12:00, so i was up by 7:30 to make sure that they didn't mess up like yesterday, but the guy didn't get here until 11:45. at least i had the comfy pink chair and a warm westie to nap with until then. my favorite part of that whole drama (of course there is drama--it's me!) is that the guy had to do two things: (1) turn on the gas for heat, and (2) light the furnace. he called me down to the basement (ps--if anyone needs to store a body, this is the perfect place...scary!!!) to show me that the furnace pipe was broken. so the landlord said, "well, i'm sure that they left the gas on for the heat, but just didn't light the furnace--that's what i told them to do because my technician is coming this week". yeah, well, they did NOT leave the gas on for the heat, whatever all that means. so, we're all freezing again.
it was nice, however, to listen to the gas company worker make professional contacts with the construction guys across the street after he left my house. if i had known then what i do now, i would have added "doesn't follow directions" from the window (since i had it open to get some warmth in the apartment...)
seriously? once again, if i did my job like these people, i would be gone within a week...nice to know that there are jobs where you can be completely ineffective and still earn a paycheck...

c'est ton anniversaire!!!!

okay...today is my friend matthew's birthday, which inspired me to post my FAVORITE youtube video of all time.

key phrases (and yes, i'm giving advance organizers on my blog...): "c'est ton anniversaire" and "ce n'est pas mon anniversaire" (i'm sure that y'all can use the web to find the meanings...)

and...maybe don't look at it in front of the wee ones, unless they've been sensitized to french "openness"...

inspiration

The Resolution
~Jack's Mannequin

There's a lot that I don't know
There's a lot that I'm still learning
But I think I'm letting go
To find my body is still burning
And you hold me down
And you got me living in the past
Come on and pick me up
Somebody clear the wreckage from the blast

And I'm alive
And I don't need a witness
To know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness
I just need light
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution

And the bars are finally closed
So I try living in the moment
'Til the moment it just froze
And I felt sick and so alone
I can hear the sound
Of your voice still ringing in my ear
I'm going underground
But you'll find me anywhere I feel

That I'm alive
And I don't need a witness
To know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness
I just need light
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution

Tomorrow back from now.
Honey I'm almost home

You hold me down
You hold me down
I'm alive
And I don't need a witness
To know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness

I'm alive
And I don't need a witness
To know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness
I just need light
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution
I need light, I need light




Strictly Game
~The Harlem Shakes

Up from the basement to my best friend's farm
Where we'll work so hard, we can do no harm

We'll till the land and duck our debts
Underneath soft sun, chewing Nicorette

This will be a better year
This will be a better year

Make a little money, take a lot of sh*t
Feel real bad, then get over it

This will be a better year

Oh I keep pushing boulders
I stay game till sun'll shake my shoulders
Oh, I keep feeling older
I stay game, stay game, stay game

The East Coast kids, man, we just don't know
Singing wait, wait, stop, drop me, go, go, go
But I'm taken by the hand to a blue pay phone
We can break blue laws with our skin and bones

And now I'm back in the city, I'm counting frick frick frick
Heard of milk crate kings, speaking soft and thick
He said, "If life gives you lemons, then thus god bade.
So put a little bit of bitter in your pink lemonade"

I'm sick of thee sheep, I'm sick of thou shepherd
Sick of dressing like a human when I'm feeling like a leopard
I'm sick of slow rock, I'm sick of quick quips
Sick of holding on to nothing when I just want to hold your hips

This will be a better year
This will be a better year

Make a little money, take a lot of sh*t
Feel real bad, then get over it

This will be a better year

Oh I keep pushing boulders
I stay game till sun'll shake my shoulders
Oh I keep feeling older
I stay game, stay game, stay game

a great quote

saw this on my friend lucie's facebook page and thought it was a great sentiment:

Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.
~Oscar Wilde

at the recommendation of my friend susan, i found the idea of posting "three beautiful things" (after a blog which which she is familiar) an amazing way to keep my mind and my spirit focused on my creative center, which is where my positive reality II being will be nourished.

How cute is this kitteh???

things i am thankful for...

in the face of the terrible tragedy in haiti, it is of course most important to ask ourselves how we can contribute, monetarily or otherwise. but, perhaps, after that, we should remember for what we are thankful.

(ps--this is absolutely not in any order of importance--i have, in fact, scrambled the entries, and this will be added to daily...AND i don't know why it's doing the weird line spacing thing...)

mom and rick
molly's sweet little face smiling at me, and sitting up all night talking with her
how baby audrey says "i wanh to sit next to auhh keyh because i yuv heh sooo much"
baked scoops
martinis at surin in the highlands
the elderly men who try to pick me up each time i go to the bi-lo beside our house
rice and beans at la fonda on ponce
audrey clair page
how princess isabella sophia the ballerina lets me cuddle her however i want
red wine and french fries at the pub with carrie and lucie
thai restaurant in greenville (and yes, that's the restaurant's actual name)
how hard my mom has worked throughout her life
hgtv--especially vern yip
a great job
bagels at belly general store
how hamilton's bed is right beside my side of the bed so that i can put my hand down and pet him during the night
my amazing brother and sister, gray and amberly, and every moment spent with them
guitar hero (balls to the wall!!)
l'as du falafel in the marais
home movies (the brendan small show)
PARIS PARIS PARIS PARIS---i.e., a lifelong driving passion for learning and amazement
the pictures from molly and audrey on the wall in my office
pedis
books about marie antoinette--especially caroline weber's book
good wine (even if it's cheap)
lucky ducks
femme-bot
trying to hold both molly and audrey on my lap at the same time!
the fun of going out to a great restaurant to eat dinner--be it a hole-in-the-wall or a zagat's favorite
having finished my dissertation
susan c-h and her feisty and loving support throughout our time at emory--my life's wish is to be as strong as you!
louis vuitton
the earl
the spinach salad at figo
having tried the master cleanse once
spikers t. cat's insolent attitude
laughing with jennie faucett--from the days at two in the morning (john e. johns hall or denny's) to now
feeling better after mono
convertibles
gossip girl
my friends and their amazing spirits, which are unique, individual, and indomitable
my private office in strode 301
the vegetarian chili at the righteous room
dishing and girl-power-ing with carrie and lucie (and how they carried me through some of the hardest moments in my life)
days when i don't have to run errands in easley (sorry easlians)
the office--especially those special moments between jim and dwight
nice paint colors that brighten up a room
Granny, Granddaddy, Grandma, and Grandpa
the increase of advertisements on the web and tv about adopting a shelter pet
my old apartment on ponce place
times with saundra, sandra, and rebecca...GIRL TALK!!!!!
the crack-kroger
reconnecting with old friends (you girls know who you are!!!) on facebook
the wonky doorways in my house in greenville
JOSE! and the eclc
fakin' bacon (so that i can still have the savory flavor without the murder)
princess bingo
that cabbage roll thing at that vegetarian restaurant in the 14th
susan clay and her enduring cheerfulness that always comes across no matter the circumstances
when hammy makes his westie-nestie

family moments

here are some more pics of the new kitteh! we have finally settled on a name for her: princess isabella sophia (the ballerina).

[editorial note: if the last part of the name is puzzling, it's a family thing...after sparkles the mermaid--who is a male hamster--all animals have to have a "the ______ " suffix on the end of their name]



so now we can call her bella or sophie...whatever strikes us. of course, audrey has said that she will continue to call her "dude" so that spikers the cat will know that he can't push her around.

she's getting more and more playful--it's just taking her a while to get warmed up to her new home, but she's already established her favorite place to nap: on the green chair on top of enough pillows to keep her right underneath the reading lamp. squeee!

spikers t. cat is getting more comfortable with her...mostly right now we're getting cattitudes like this one:

first day of class!

i love the first day of classes! looks like i have some great students who are game to go for it in french 101...so things should be fun! let's just hope that no one decides to try to navigate the drop/add system...i'd hate to lose any of them...
also trying to get geared up for the big stuff coming up this semester--conference presentations, tech presentations, auralog uploads, etc. etc.

new kitteh!

quickly posting a picture and video of bella, our new kitteh...she is about three years old, and we found her at the greenville humane society petco station last night. it was so hard to choose between all of the wonderful pets that they have at the society's headquarters and the station, but when she cuddled right up in my arms and started purring, i knew she was the one!!!

staying at home...being jealous of people who have "outdoor rooms"

so i guess sometimes a good decision can sometimes still make you sad...i decided not to go to atlanta today with shawn, and although i'm really sad to miss out on seeing friends and family, i know it was the right decision to stay here and rest some more before going back to work on monday. still trying to decide which combo of mono + bronchitis or mono + flu most matches the description of my last week. i guess whatever the name, the non-stop fun is indisputable! (don't ask why getting the doctor's opinion turned out not to be possible, even after the 2.5 hours spent in his office.)
anyway, christmas, new year's, and an impromptu living room redo to incorporate the new coffin bookcase that shawn got for christmas have left our house feeling rather...cozy...let's say. i have GOT to do some cleaning before going back to school! the holidays were GREAT! mom and rick's visit to g'vegas was really fun--if you ever get a chance to go to the lazy goat in downtown, definitely do! the truffle oil fries (of course!) and the italian grilled cheese are wonderful, and the lazy yet uniquely mediterranean atmosphere is very nice.
new year's eve was also wonderful, of course, since shawn is traditionally in charge of the entertainment on that night. we have always done a dancing activity, so after video ballroom lessons the last two years, this year we rang in the new year with dance dance revolution and on tv...as always...the univision new year's eve celebration (with occasional forays onto cnn to see anderson cooper embarrass himself with kathy griffin).
here's wishing everyone a wonderful 2010, and fulfillment of dreams and/or resolutions as applicable! for this year, my resolution is to do more in support of organizations (big and small) that aid homeless and abandoned dogs and cats...