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Saturday, May 14, 2011

....things that make you go "huh, what the...."

But first on the home front:

So I have been dutifully going to French lessons on Tuesday and Thursday and have only reconfirmed my belief that languages are not my forte.  Instead of each lesson making things clearer, it seems that once I think I finally understand, my instructor says "Non" and then throws a new monkey wrench into the plan.  And who's bright idea was it to assign genders to inanimate objects over here?!?  The table is feminine but the telephone is masculine......I mean COME ON really!!!  So now you just can't say "the table" because you have to say "la table" because supposedly it's a girl!  But the male telephone must be called "le telephone" or you might offend it or give it some kind of complex about it's sexuality!

The kids are doing great.  They just got back from a class trip to Normandy.  They spent 3 days and 2 nights at the PGL Center (uk/PGLWeb/Schools/Primary-schools/france/centres/Normandy.htm) and loved it. The kids said "PGL" stands for "Parents Get Lost"!  Each class takes a trip durning the school year (starting in Year 3 - just a day trip) and the time away increases as they go up in grades.  I think the seniors actually do a week-long trip somewhere each year. It is a class building trip and involves mostly fun and games, but there is some "cerebral" activities too.

They both loved the agility/obstacle course even though Samantha came home with a huge bruise on her shin she doesn't remember getting but thinks it was this course (really, the bruise is about 2 1/2 inches wide and about 6 inches long....you'd think you'd remember that hit!?)  They also did rock climbing, repelling and something called "problem solving".  Max was excited about the problem solving activities.  It seems, as best I can tell, that they were on a course like the obstacle course, and given a set of instructions and then had to figure out as a team the best way to "solve" the problem.  The way he told it, the camp leader would say something like "You are stuck on an island, you have no boat, but there are rocks every 3 feet and you have a 4 foot long piece of board with you, how do you get off the island?".  Then there would be tires or other low lying things placed 3 feet apart and the team of boys (3 or 4 in a group) would figure out a strategy and get off the island.  Of course, then there were also land mines and guns and all things "boy" as the problems got harder.


Patrick's work is going well.  Coming from a private office in N.C. back to "cubicle world" here as been a slight challenge for him, but he is embracing it as best he can.  There are more women than men it seems in his office, which is also a challenge for him as he doesn't do well with "petty women stuff".  But I have to give him this one, because I have met and talked to some of his co-workers/friends and they confirm that there are some doozies up there! Like the woman who takes naps under her desk during the day or the one who books the conference room for a whole week just so she can have a private office!  One way he's "rebelling" is he purchased a USB "missile launcher" that shoots Nerf-like darts at his co-workers from controls on his computer.  Maybe they will rethink his being with the general population and put him behind closed doors again!


The dogs are doing well.  Walking gets easier every day and they aren't as alarmed at everything either.  Morgan has actually been able to walk off the leash both in the neighborhood and in open spaces and does very well, keeping close to us and coming when called.  Einstein does okay in secluded places off the leash, but we still don't trust her in populated places!  Morgan is happy with her 4 walks a day, but I think Einstein really misses her yard.  She has taken to climbing out onto the 2 foot ledge that overlooks the central garden (don't worry, there's a rail) and lying down for a nap.
Poor Einstein.  She misses her yard!


Four Stories in the air
"Don't mind me, I'll just lie here looking
pathetic"














Now, other pictures that make you go "Huh, what the....."

This is the "American" section at one of the grocery stores.
It is primarily Pepperidge Farm cookies with a little peanut butter
and condiments!  This is what the French think we eat!

Poster for a car.  I don't know, but he name "Punto" just doesn't
seem like a model I'd want to buy.  "Punt"o this one to the
curb!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen!
The fashion capital of the world has people walking around in Harem pants!
Not only is this chick "rocking 'em" but they are ORANGE!
M.C. Hammer take notice.....they're back!

What!?!
The definition of Foie Gras is 
"a food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened"
Really Weight Watchers?!?
Now a little name recognition!


For my super smart niece!
Congrats on your graduation!
Come take a picture with your store.
And of course, gotta have the last name too!





Oh so close!  Damn hyphen.....
Too bad it's a stinky cheese store.......

And lastly, nothing is complete without a pig in a basket.
Surprisingly, not a butcher!
Another stinky cheese store.......

'Til next time...................