he sure loves butter!
yes. this is my husband. i am SO proud of him. ;o)
There was hardly any traffic on my way to work this morning. Even on the not-so-much-traveled highway I take. I think that everyone is at Ozzfest today.
In other news…my friend Genevieve is training for the Nike 26.2 marathon taking place October 24 in San Francisco! The marathon, which is San Francisco’s first women’s only marathon, is going to benefit the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Genevieve is also a 1-yr survivor of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Visit her Team in Training homepage to check her training progress and to donate to help further research and to help current Leukemia & Lymphoma patients. This type of cancer is more likey to occur in early adulthood. I have another friend that was diagnosed with Hodgkin Disease – so I am finding out that it really can happen to anyone! So, please, take some time, check out G’s Team in Training homepage and donate! (This’ll be the only time I ask y’all for money!) Click here for more information on Hodgkin Disease and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Since my cooking class at Sur La Table, I had been pretty determined to make the culinary treat called Gumbo. So, I put together a small & casual Sunday dinner for Emilie, JC, Sylvain and myself. Though my roux didn’t look the same as that night in class, the gumbo looked, smelled and tasted wonderful. While I was putting the dish together, I was giving praise to two ingenious culinary “helpers”: mise en place & the “garbage bowl.” The latter we can thank Rachael Ray for; the former, thanks to all the great French chefs that coined the term.
In other news, S + I finally saw Fahrenheit 9/11. It’s amazing how one film can draw out so many feelings: frustration, laughter, sadness, anger and more frustration. After it was over, we despised the Bush administration even more. (Which is sad, since I had somewhat respected Colin Powell.) Let’s hope that W doesn’t make it to the White House again.
The 9/11 Commission Report is out.
So, out of curiosity and some odd need to further torture myself, I started to read it. I got to page 25 and had to stop. I don’t know if I could read the whole thing – perhaps if I just skip over the first section, “We Have Some Planes”.
Anyhow, it started off more like a novel than a Legislative Committee Report:
“Tuesday, September 11, 2001, dawned temperate and nearly cloudless in the Eastern United States.”
Maybe I’ll keep reading. Maybe not.
So the structural & pest inspections went surprisingly well. I was expecting much more damage to the house. I guess that’s a good thing. Aside from some stucco work and a lot of cosmetic work, all it really needs is a good exterior paint job, new windows, and a new roof. We’re in the negotiation process now. We hope to hear back by the end of the week. Cross your fingers!…
…Something in the water…Saturday evening, Sylvain and I went to a belated housewarming party for our friends’ who are renting a houseboat in Sausalito. We hadn’t seen a lot them since January and it was like baby-mania! I found out that Tim & Raquel had a baby earlier this year; Kristen & Bob are 6 months pregnant; Aida & Bruno are 8 months pregnant! This is all in addition to Alex & Claire, who JUST gave birth; and Deborah & Joseph who are expecting their second this September!
…Saw De-Lovely this past weekend and I quite enjoyed it. I left work a tad bit early to catch the 4.30p show (I am fortunate to have an indie / foreign movie house 1 minute from my office) and to pay less than $10.00 for a film. Granted, I felt like I had caught the early-bird special. Anyhoo, if you have any interest in Cole Porter or his music, check it out. Watch for the star-studded cameos (Alanis Morrisette, Robbie Williams, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall). Loved the costumes & jewelry!
Last night, my mom used “bling” in a sentence. The part that shocks me is that she used it correctly!
Can you believe that Hello Kitty is 30 this year! Here’s to all the super cool pencils, erasers, notebooks and stationery that I had as a kid. And, yes, I still do shop there every now and then. I can still remember when my mom would take me to the Hello Kitty store – I was so excited! I loved it when they gave you a bonus gift bag for spending more than a certain amount.
I’m 28 and I STILL love Hello Kitty and her crazy crew.
Today, July 14, the French celebrate Bastille Day. This day marks the end of the monarchy and the beginning of the French Revolution.
On July 14, 1789 the masses banded together and stormed the Bastille prison, a symbol of the corrupt political system. This began the Revolution. The following year on July 14th delegates from all regions of the France gathered in Paris to celebrate the Fête de la Fédération and proclaim their allegiance to one national community. This made France a paragon for the rest of Europe and established them a nation of liberty.
The Revolution lead to the tricolor flag of blue, red, and white. Blue and red are the colors of Paris and white is the color of royalty.
Bastille Day was proclaimed a national holiday in 1880 and in 1848 the motto “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” was reinstated. In France, most folks take Bastille Eve off and celebrate with festive balls and brilliant displays of fireworks. The day that follows is filled with parades, bands, dancing and general good times!
I got off the phone with our real estate agent this afternoon. “Escrow has been opened.”
I know that we gave her a big check last night and that she was going to deposit it, and so on. But it didn’t dawn on me until then, that this potential house of ours is in escrow. Are we kidding?!
Now, don’t get your hopes up. The purchase agreement is contingent on a new pest inspection and structural inspection Thursday afternoon. The pest inspection that they had completed was a joke. I think that we have until next Tuesday or Wednesday to make a decision.
And now there are three…four, if you include Sherlock. :o)
Alice Brouaux
13 July 2004
11.20 am
3.1 kg
48.5 cm
Congrats to the new parents, Claire & Alex!