From least bothersome to most:

10. It was cold. (Usually between 30 and 40 degrees but the wind was killer.)

9. Things were far more expensive. (Our money isn’t worth as much and things were just more.)

8. Walking every where… in the cold. (Averaged about 6 miles a day according to Chris’s pedometer.)

7. Not ever seeming to have enough time. (When it was dark is was just too cold to do anything and we were exhausted by then anyways.)

6. Not having clean clothes for several days. (Stupid airlines. Thank goodness we packed a change of clothes.)

5. The wet streaks all over the sidewalks that had to be avoided because they were urine from some kind of animal. (Two legged and four legged)

4. The spit all over the sidewalks. (Seemed like everybody had to spit there.)

3. The poop all over the sidewalks. (Yuck! They didn’t have to grass to go on so they just pooped on the sidewalk and the owners just kept walking. Never even thought to pick it up, I’m sure.)

2. Not being able to look up as I walked because of 3-5. (I wanted to look at the buildings. Oh the buildings. That’s for the next e-mail. Unfortunately I forgot to always look down during one outing and j’ai marché dan la merde.)

1. The trip to Paris. (Especially Amsterdam – they confiscated my knitting needles with a work in progress on them but not the other two pairs that were in their package in the very same bag that they dug around in to take out the pair they took away from me. Now I have to wait until I can go to Austin and buy another pair or order them online. Oh! and the stupid drunk guy who happened to also be on our flight home from Amsterdam- but far more sober.)

I am still in Paris. When I get home I will post two entries about Paris: things I love about Paris and things I hate about Paris. I’m not sure which will be first nor which will be longer.

My french is good enough to get by but I have lost so much of what I learned. I’ve briefly considered taking another class or two to freshen up when we get back but I don’t think I will do that.

Tonight is our last night at Judah’s apartment. Tomorrow we are just going to wander the city and go back to the Eiffel Tower a third time. Then we are staying in a hotel near the airport.

I am not happy about going home. Not because I want to stay in Paris but because I REALLY do not want to get on that airplane. It was AWFUL! It will take a long time to get over it or a lot of sedatives for me go on another VERY long airplane flight after this trip. I really hope that someone is working on teleportation.

If you’d like details of the trip, it’s best if you check Chris’s blog. He has posted details and will put up photos soon. He has taken most of the photos while here. I’ve only taken pictures of doors and the occasional monument so that Chris is in the picture. I did try taking a few instant pictures while at the Louvre but they didn’t turn out well. You’ll have to take my word for it when I say that the black, instant pictures are of the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory. The Venus de Milo came out well enough though. My favorite instant picture so far is of the Arc de Triomph.

Here is a teaser picture. I took this one with the Exilim.

So we are getting ready and getting nervous. Well, I am getting nervous. Chris is probably nervous too but mostly he is just focused on details. I wish that I could do that.

I did buy this though. Awesome bag on clearance at Dillard’s for $14.50. I didn’t know Dillard’s could sell anything for $14.50. Love it! It will be my personal bag to go with my carry-on. We were going to just take one carry-on each and not check any bags but the stress was killing me. Ok, it wasn’t terrible stress. I just didn’t like thinking about how to take the very least and still be happy with what I took. I also didn’t relish clothes shopping in Paris, where I am convinced that everything female is a size 5 or less. Not my size since… forever.

We’ve also put a few estate things in writing, just in case. Basically everything is to be sold except pictures, journals, handmade things, heirlooms. The money is to be split evenly and Tully goes to April. Tempest’s fate is less certain. He’d probably kill anyone who tried to touch him. He’s pretty much a two person cat. He’s also 15 and VERY set in his ways. Don’t take it personally. He’s mean to us too, sometimes.

It snowed here today. Snowed a lot… for here. Did you know that snow is cold? Especially if you touch it? I know, who would of thought? But it is. I have a new found respect for those people who make things out of snow with their hands. I made the littlest of snowmen today and that was all I could muster without very uncomfortableness occurring in my hands. What a wimp!

Anyways… it snowed here today. Big, happy, fluffy flakes. It was pretty.

It really isn’t that bad but they closed school early today and we aren’t starting until 10 tomorrow. So I’m not complaining. My students have been hardly tolerable of late so home time is nice.

Tully didn’t really like the snow. Especially when her booty got close to it.

A little over a week ago it snowed here.

Today it is in the mid 70’s and sunny. Lovely, so I took a few pictures of some things I finished knitting recently.

A pair of socks. It only took about 6 months to actually finish both but I did put them away for awhile and didn’t start the second one until January.

A second, cabled, neck warmer. It is very soft.

It is supposed to be below freezing with a high of around 39 on Tuesday with a high percentage of precipitation. The weather.