French mosquito

It would seem that even moving all the way to another continent has not accomplished something that I had really hoped it would...mosquitolessness. As I type, there is a French mosquito flying around my apartment. I ALMOST had him too. Almost. You'd think that these two precious freeloaders who live with me would want to do something to, oh, I don't know, earn their keep, but no. I "sicked" Potter on the mosquito, and he just curled up next to me and started purring. Something didn't translate.

It's my fault really, but who can blame me for having both the kitchen window and balcony doors open on this beautiful 70-something degree evening? It was gorgeous here today, and none too soon because it has been chilly and rainy for the last two weeks, and I have been anxiously awaiting the return of spring. I hope it's here to stay this time. Except I may have just seen lightning...or a nuclear attack in the distance. Hard to tell which, but it's bound to become evident fairly soon.

But what else besides confirmation of French mosquitos is there to update you on? Well, not much. I have been seeing "this guy" for a couple of weeks, but it's too soon to comment on that other than to say that he's a nice guy and we'll see. School is almost out...a week and a half of class then an oral exam followed by a three-hour written exam. Yikes! I have GOT to spend some serious time studying. What else...oh...I'm going to the French Open! Cool, huh? I'm excited!

Went to a party Saturday night for a friend who turned 40, and as he was born in 1969, he decided on a Woodstock theme. I'll post pix when I get them...my friend Quynh took a few of us "decorating" ourselves in the restaurant bathroom before heading to the party. We drew peace symbols and psychedelic flowers on our arms, and I had a fab wrap-thingy around my head and a tie-die t-shirt (that I paid only 10 euro for). But unlike 1969, there was no weed being passed around, and I didn't see any 'shrooms or other hallucinogenics. We had a few jello shots though and were lousy with cupcakes. We are SO in our forties.

Otherwise, I have nothing of great interest to report. My French is improving, but I am impatient and tired of being an illiterate. I still LOVE it here, and I wake up every day excited. That's a great feeling and one that I think is rather uncommon for most people over, say 5 years old. Which is appropriate since I felt like a five year old on Tuesday when I fell in the middle of the wet, muddy street and hit body parts in this order: knees, hands, chin, nose, forehead, head, arm, leg, butt. Seriously, all that was going through my mind was, "when am I going to stop falling?!?!?" It was ridiculous. In my defense, I think my purse which, in addition to the normal purse contents, had three books and a dictionary in it, flipped over me and pulled me down further than I would have fallen without it. I walked home a good six to eight blocks with a dirt-smeared, scratched up face, muddy hands, knees, leg, head, and butt, and a pitiful look, and what do you know, but I ran into two of my neighbors in the hall. It's rare that I see any of my neighbors, but I guess it's somebody's law that you must see your neighbors when you look like you've been rolling in the street. Scabs are forming now, so pretty soon it'll just be a bad little memory.

So other than close encounters with the asphalt, things are going swimmingly. And we've just entered another three day weekend which is the second in a row. May has three, maybe four holidays. I love France. So since what I saw earlier was apparently lightning and not a nuclear attack, I'll have three days in which to do some much needed studying. I'll also spend some time walking around this gorgeous city, maybe having a dinner or two out, enjoying the gardens, monuments, churches, the Seine, and all of the beauty that this fabulous place has to offer. I wish you a lovely weekend too!