The Opera in Avignon

I have had a great week! Last weekend, Steve came out to L'Isle on Friday night, and then Whitney and Jenn came to visit on Saturday. Saturday night we went out in Avignon, then Tuesday night I went back in to Avignon for the opera! We saw Les Contes d'Hoffman, and it was in French, which meant I understood approximately 25% of it (maybe closer to 33%). Thank goodness for wikipedia the night before so I knew the general plot arch! It was so nice and so classy, even if we were practically on the roof, on really uncomfortable benches, and sitting right behind a woman who proceeded to fall asleep and snore VERY LOUDLY in the third act. Bitch! That night I saw my future husband in my dreams. He was tall, dark and handsome (is there any other way to be?), and amazing. He wasn't anyone I've ever seen before, but I think when I meet him (someday), I'll know him. It was nice. The next day Steve and I bumbled about and saw Les Noces Rebelles, or, in English, Revolutionary Road, you know, the one with Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Oh, that one! It was fabulous, if horrendously depressing (we watched it dubbed in French so to be honest, I wasn't always sure exactly why they were yelling, but I could tell they were mad). It got me thinking about my life, and I hope I can realize some of my dreams, and don't turn into a holed-up housewife. But, I guess that remains to be seen. Then we went to Liz' birthday party last night where I drank copious amounts of wine and ended up confessing so many uncouth things I'm sure I would have earned the prize for "Most Shocking Revelations by a Party Guest," if such a prize existed. Then I slept in today (everyone was on strike, at least I'm assuming...), and made it back to L'Isle at around noon, just in time for my tutoring client. Then I dealt with some French bureaucratic bullshit (which is nothing out of the ordinary here), and then I did laundry, which usually sucks and it is honestly and literally one of my least favorite parts about life, but today it was different. TODAY, I put my laundry in the washing machine and it started on it's own. FREE LAUNDRY! Thank you, unknown, unseen benefactor, who bestowed a free wash on me! It was a bright spot, and if my week hadn't already been going splendidly, it would have been enough to turn it around! Tomorrow night, party chez moi, (I like how I invite my next door neighbor over and it transforms the evening from "Usual-Friday-night-fare-of-pre-funking-before-heading-to-the-one-pub-in-town" to a party)! Oh let me have my fun in my little town!

Out of Hibernation

Internet is lifeblood. I just got it in my apartment and I can't tell you how it's changed my life! Now instead of staring at each other across a game of cards, either Ruth or I are always online, facebooking or looking up funny videos of Russell Brand or reading about the Inauguration, or, if pressed, actually researching things to teach the little Frenchies, our charges.

The holidays were fabulous: highlights included seeing Simon, opening a bottle of wine as old as I was for Christmas eve, eating Christmas day dinner at the Four Seasons Hampshire, and watching bouncers break up no less than 6 fights on New Year's in Scunthorpe, (a.k.a. "deep" England). Class. It's how I roll.

Now I'm back in L'Isle, spending my time with my four tutoring clients, reading (just finished Le Compte de Monte Cristo in French, a mighty achievement of which I am quite proud), being sick (but on the up and up now!), thinking deeply about the future and what "the next step" is, or chilling at the one pub in town. Oh yeah, and I manage to actually work every now and again! Last weekend I got myself (and Ruth, by proxy) invited to a poker party chez some actual French people! It was quite fun, even though I lost tragically. I was mostly just excited to be in France and hanging with real Frenchies, which, ask anybody who's spent time here, is quite a victory!

Now I'm off to an Inauguration party in Avignon with some other Americans tonight, complete with hamburgers and champagne! Yaay Obama!