Do like the French & STRIKE

A few weeks ago my father inlaw says, "Be really careful with the gas, there is a scheduled strike so gas may be low...." Not really knowing the extent of this until my mother inlaw says, "Jean-Mark (father inlaw) is working from home this week to save gas and to monitor our usage.... " Considering he is a very careful man, I still didn't thing too much about it....
Next day, watching the news. It looks like a crazy zombie movie where the army is spraying the people in the streets with water to keep them back because they are going completely mad!! I mean, burning fire in the streets, jumping on random cars and smashing in the windows! MAD!!! And its not even like old people, its mostly young! For what you ask??? Social Security!!

Apparently the government here is trying to raise the retirement age to 65. So far they are standing their ground but I was told that the people will stay on strike until they get what they want!
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22nd Birthday

When I was 20, I couldn't wait to be 21... When I was 21, I thought it would be cool to be 22... until I turned 22! Now I am realizing that I am just getting old!!!

Luckly, I have amazing frineds here in France who celebrated my day with me and it turned out to be one of the best birthdays I have had yet!

We went to a fondue restarunt, which was as good as it was fun! Then off to a little bar where I was forced to wear a confetti blonde bob wig and then attacked with confetti! This was followed by several glasses of champagne, cake and presents :)
Next, night club!! This is where I realized just how old 22 actually feels!

Entering the night club, I was feeling pretty good! One drink in the night club... It's all good! Mama can handle this! Um.. did anyone see Isa? Oh yea! We lost her!
I think I need another drink.... two down... I'm down!! Literally! Sleeping on the sidewalk!! How I made it back to the taxi stop is beond me! According to the pictures, I must have been sleep walking because my eyes were closed the entire time!!

And then... my brand new iphone4.... gone! Just like that! Left it in the taxi :(

Potty Time!!

My sweet little Princess is only 19 months old and is already telling me when she wants to go potty!!!!!!!!!!

She is growing up way too fast!! I am so proud of her but I'm scared to see whats next!

I would give you fellow Mommies some tips... but really, it's all her!
I leave the potty where she can see it and just started asking her when I would change her dippar if she needed to potty and sure enough... now she's telling me!!

She tried to kill me.... again!

My mommy in law has an International Hiking Group here in France... I had went on a few hikes last year and well... I hated it!! So feeling a little more adventerous, I thought I would give it another try!

I loved it!! I mean sure, it was more like rock climbing than hiking... steep, sharp rocks, knowing that one wrong step and down the cliff you go into the sea!!! Yeah, it was amazing! Finally reaching the top and seeing just how beautiful something could be! I vote to add this very spot to be a new wonder of the world!
And... good excerise as well!!

Take a look at the hike today :) And then... be jealous !

Easily distracted when driving

So here I am, in a hurry as usual... on my way to work on one of these darn country France roads which is barly big enough for two cars! I know that after this huge curve there is a bridge only big enough for one car (you can only see the other car when you get to the bridge)... So here I am, coming around the curve... here I go... and I see a huge white van on the side of the road next to the bridge... At first, distracted by the size of the van (every car here is so small) but then even more distracted by the man peeing behind the van into the creek (which happens to be the natural water supply for the village)! So of course I am not looking at the bridge! I am in shock that this man would not only be peeing in the open but into the creek!!

BEEEEEPPP!!!!!!

Oh NOOO!!! A CAR!!! CRASH!!!!

Lucky for me, I crashed into the guard rail and not the little black car with a too cute for his own good, little guy driving!

He stops. I reverse. He steps out of his car. I jump out of mine totally embarrassed . I'm unsure if he speaks english so the only thing I can do is say, "That stupid man was peeing" along with hand gestures of well, a man peeing!

Totally embarrassed! He was totally laughing and the look on the man peeings face was priceless! I hope he learned a lesson!!

France Fall Trend

In all of the stores here in France, the fall collection consists of bluejean shorts, blazers, boots that all the Ag girls wore in the greenhouse, tights and swade!

I thought it was a little crazy at first but now, I think I like it!

Little Job

So, I got a little part time job... if thats what you wanna call it... for this culinary school thats here in Aix for 2 weeks doing tours and cooking. Mostly older, wealthy women living the dream, but anyway! My job that would usually be so simple actually was quite difficult at times due to.. how should i put it?? Oh yes! I dont speak French!!!! GRR!! I was to go to the supermarket everyday and purchase the items that would be cooked for dinner that night...

One, I don't know how to cook anything except pasta (which I mess up from time to time) and cookies that come in a tube(which i usually mess up as well)! Two, did you know that zucchani comes round as well as long?? Crazy, huh?! Three, there is still that language barrier where I cant read French either! So you can only immagine how I was in the supermarket searching for irrigular items! My work hours were around 4 hours a day minus 20 minutes of drving... yea the rest was in the supermarket!

One day I shorted the mushrooms by 2 kilos (2.2 pounds) and the next I had to find a poissonieer (fish market) and buy 80 euros worth of "la grande crevette crue" , also known as big raw shrimp!