It's Nice to Meet You Again For The First Time

(Vida, remember that quote?)

Yesterday was the first day of my beginning French class. Now, mind you, I took 4 years of French in high school. Clepped out of the first 2 semesters of college French, then amassed enough French credits for a minor in French. Well, then I moved to Indiana (not exactly known for its diverse culture) and all French-speaking, writing and reading ceased (unless I was cruising the BBC website, or sneaking in on a French conversation class). So, after 6 years in French wasteland + 1.5 more in BF Texas (also no French speakers - imagine that!), I felt like I had maybe lost my skillz.

I recently decided that I wanted to be able to speak 3 languages (take that, American education system!) and figured I might as well start with one I used to know. Well, it turns out, I'm still pretty damned good with French (if I must say so myself) and am well on my way to being GREAT with French.

I do have beef with my teacher, though. Her name is Juliette. And, in addition to having a completely cute name, she weighs about 7 pounds, but has curves in all the right places. She also has a fantastically cute personality, a great sense of humor and happens to be beautiful. Is this a requirement for female french teachers? My high school French teacher had the same characteristics. The French teachers at Purdue also had these characteristics. It isn't fair!

I think I should mention that I am the 3rd youngest person in the class - the other 2 are high school students and really don't count anyway. Do you know how fun it is at the age of 31 to be the youngest person somewhere? Yay! I'm going to love this class.

I'm picking up Arabic in the fall, as long as they don't raise tuition too much. If the Europeans can be fluent in several languages, damnit, so can I!

To hear more hateration, particularly aimed at Europeans, read the next post...

Why Are Tennis Players So Hot

Okay, I am not a big tennis fan. Although I know some big tennis names, I don't follow the sport whatsoever, except in a "let me make sure the US is still totally dominating all areas of competetive sports" kind of way. I guess its "tennis season" right now because I have been noticing lots of tennis players in the paper and on the cover of magazines. I have also noticed that a disproportionate number of them qualify to be supermodels in the off-season. Lots of tennis eye candy lately, Check out super-hot Russian Marat Sarafin and Serbian goddess Ana Ivanovic.

What's even more disgusting is that the picture of Ms. Ivanovic is her Wimbledon id mugshot. Who's mugshot looks that fabulous? Bitch! I hate her!

This way to God

This cloud formation looks like a lighted arrow pointing to the Heavens. Do you see it, or is it just me?

I saw this while waiting for hubby's football game to start.

Pas de duex

I was standing in line at the drug store and happened to catch a tabloid headline that said

Angelina confesses: I'm still love Billy Bob!

I don't get it! What's the big deal? Is it so bizarre to still be in love with your ex? I mean, they did swap vials of blood! Why are people so convinced that you can't be in love with more than one person at a time? Are our hearts so small? Even if the relationship doesn’t work, you don’t automatically lose all feelings for a person.

My parents, for instance, they divorce ages ago. But, it wasn’t a bitter, evil battle. It was a mutual decision by to grown people who have decided that their lives are heading in opposing directions. They still love each other. My dad and stepmom celebrated their 10 year anniversary this week. I know he loves his wife completely, yet still manages to love my mom. This love does not diminish, or interfere with the love he has for his current wife.

With all the nastiness going on in the world, I hope that people are as open to love (current and past) as possible. I have loved four men with whom I’ve been in a relationship with (and I don’t count E. because I only told him I did to get in his draws *evil grin*). Except for Stew the Slut, I didn’t stop loving any of them just because the relationship faded to black. The loss of love was gradual because I lost contact with them, but I’m certain there were periods of overlap where I still had love for the ex and was nurturing a new love with the current.

Or maybe its just my sentimental self...

For All You Foodies Out There

I just signed up for a "food swap" with Megan and April. It's a pretty cool idea. You are matched with a fellow foodie in another part of the country (or international, if you like) to swap some home-grown goodies. I'm excited and seriously hoping that someone from Lousiana gets my name. LOL! I signed up for 2 swaps - one with Oklahoma food, and one with Washington State food. Should be pretty cool. I'd love to do swap internationally, but am not willing to pay the exta postage - that's 2 or 3 yoga classes!

Anyhoo, if you're interested, here's the blurb from Megan's website:

If you would like to join us in a local area goodies exchange, send your name, mailing address, e-mail address, and blog name and blog URL to either april at aprilsattic@comcast.net or to me at cookinmeg@gmail.com. Also let us know if you'll send internationally. We will match up partners and have a round up of the participating blogs. We ask that you post about the goodies you receive and include links back to both April and myself. Sign-ups end June 27th.

So, what do you say?

Want to share your *Taste Like Home* with someone?

Here's the link to the Taste Like Home blog.

I think I'll pick up something terrific at Pike Place Market.

I'll keep you updated with what I'm sending.

Welcome to "June-uary".

The weather in Seattle sucks so bad. We seem to be eternally stuck in winter.

I went to Target today to stock up on a few tids and bits. The seasonal area was full of summer clearance items - beach towels, pool loungers, sun tea carafes, water guns, patio furniture. It appears that Target has given up on summer! It's not ever going to get here, so we might as well put this shit on clearance and bring the hats, scarves and coats back. Sheez! What's a girl gotta do to get the weather to hold steady at 65 degrees or above? I don't think that's asking to much? Is it? Apparently so.

Have passport, will travel

The study abroad woman was at the Geography Club table in the cafeteria. They are having a fundraiser to take a trip to Mexico, Guatemala and Belize in August. She is there to answer questions about the trip.

Anyhoo, she and I were talking about how much we loved Belize and she said "If you feel at home in Belize, you will feel like you're in heaven in Guatemala." I don't know what that means, so I just said, "Wow! Really?!"

Then she gave me the once-over and said, "I bet you are a great traveler. You must travel all over." I told her if by "all over" she meant all over the Southwest route map, then she was exactly right. We laughed long and hard at that (I made a funny!), then she said, "No, I mean, you are exactly the right height, build and complexion to blend in everywhere. I would love to travel with you. People probably treat you like a native. I bet you get the best price on all your souvenirs."

Wow! Something about that made me feel really good. Like I belong to the whole world. And with all this fighting and bombing and other miscellaneous mayhem, it made me feel really happy to know that maybe the world considers me a person who is not trying to tear it into a thousand little pieces.

Happy Monday!

Ah, Monday. Funny, now that my career has switched gears and I have a job that I absolutely adore, I don't dread Mondays like I used to. I actually don't mind coming to work on Monday (or any other day, for that matter).

Saturday, I went to a lovely 2-hour hip openers work shop at Samarya. It was such a release to spend so much time focusing on that area and my 2nd chakra. With my anxiety about the miscarriage, rising gas and food costs, and my dead social life, it was good to release the tension and calm myself down. It was also a great way to wrap up the first week of my 21-day cleanse.

After yoga, I treated myself to a spa day at Hot House Spa. Hubby sponsored my 1-hour massage by Deb which was absolute bliss! She wrapped things up with a scalp and facial massage that was almost orgasmic. Or maybe it felt so good because my 2nd chakra was still very much alive and well from the workshop. Whichever. It was amazing. For the next 2 hours, I lazily rotated from the hot tub, to the sauna - relaxing, by lying on the edge of the hot tub in between. Dosing in and out of consciousness. I finished my spa day with a cold plunge to make sure I was awake enough to drive back to the Eastside.

The rest of the day was spent lounging at home. Reading a book and watching the rain patter on the lake. A perfect Saturday.

The only problem is that I was RUINED for any kind of activity Sunday. It was like I had taken a sedative once I fell asleep. I slept for nearly 12 hours, completely missing church and my beloved Sunday Ashtanga class. I spent the evening with Figaro on the beach chasing lake clams in the sand.

Not bad for a weekend.

Ms. Badu

Hubby & I enjoyed a fabulous (yet chilly) evening listening to the The Roots & Erykah Badu. We had fantastic seats and it didn't rain. That made it a perfect concert. The Roots started their set about 30 minutes early, though. Who does that? You can't start a concert early! Especially one that has the ticket price equivalent of a 3-course meal in the Space Needle Restaurant. Anyhoo...I think Ms. Badu nicely summed up feelings about any and all things in life when she yelled out:

 

If you're not for the good, then you're for some bullshit!

 

Erykah, I couldn't have said it better myself.

O2BNLUV

I saw that on a license plate today. Thought is was really cute. Or really sad, now that I think about it.

I spent today at Alki Beach poking and prodding at things in the tide pools. Picking up things that were slow enough for me to catch. The weather was crappy, but it was tons of fun.

Why does sea sand smell so stinky once you're away from the beach? Blech!

I want to write about the historical significance of Obama's nomination, but I am overwhelmed by emotions right now and can't put two concise thoughts together, let alone an entire entry. I'll come back to it once I calm down.