Paris

Paris is an amazing city. Amazing. Cannot describe how beautiful everything is. There is so much to do!!! Unfortunately, it has been abnormally cold (and we didn't prepare for a Quebec winter in Paris), but it's starting to get warmer.

We did a lot today (the Catacombs, Cathedral Notre Dame, Musee Cluny), but the best part was dinner. We ate a restaurant suggested by my guidebook, La Maison l'Aubrac. It specializes in beef. Okay. Denis isn't a meat lover (he almost always orders a non-meat dish when we're at a restaurant), but since beef is the speciality, he orders the tapas de boeuf. I order the triologue de boeuf avec patates. Let me start by saying it was delicious. Mine was ground beef over salad, a beef steak, and a ground beef patty. Ah, but here's the catch- the steak was rare (as in, RARE) and the ground beef steak was raw. RAW. As in, not cooked, but mixed with spices, absolutely delicious.

Now, here's the best part. Denis got 6 beef pieces, 5 OF THEM COMPLETELY RAW. He couldn't eat it. He tried the raw ground beef (which he admitted had great spices) but couldn't bring himself to eat anything except the one part that was cooked, in the white box. 18 Euros, and he basically tried to survive on the free bread.



So... we left that restaurant, and he ate pasta at a different restaurant! Let's just say... it was an experience.

It's Cold Outside!

I lived in Canada for three winters. It's not that I can't handle the cold... I'm just surprised it's sooooooooooooo cold here in Albany. My Saudi Arabian student's mother keeps asking me, "Will it get colder than this?"

I don't know... geez!

I mean, it's too cold to snow! How crazy is that!

The Best of 2009

Ah... it was quite a year. I can't say it was smooth, because most of it we've been living in limbo regarding jobs and homes... but we've survived and 2010 is looking great!

Here are some of the best moments/things/stories of the year:

• Denis and I moved back the US... and we're in the process of buying a house!
• It was sad leaving Laval/Montreal since we both had wonderful friends there... but we've both found our work more fulfilling in the US.
  
• I started my own business, which has been very successful!
• Tina taught my dad some new tricks.
  
• Freddy and Steve became the proud parents of Justin
• Crystal and Tony brought Dominic into the world
• Julie and Dom welcomed Rosalie
• and Denis and I became Rosalie's godparents!
• We're planning to crack open that bottle of champagne that Dr. B gave us for our wedding
• Obama was inaugurated
  
• Had a great day with Aunt Lorry and Grandma watching Julie & Julia
• Le Village Grec, Panchos, and Arirang
• Drawing class was awesome. And the best part was when they thought the naked man was a picture of Denis. Almost died right there.
  

Garbage

The house we're planning to move into (if everything goes okay with the mortgage and contract...) is in a city that doesn't automatically pick-up garbage. That really sucks. On the other hand, if we choose NOT to use a private company to pick-up our garbage, then we'll have to drive it out to the dump ourselves. This might be a good thing! Since we're quasi-environmentalists, I think it would make us very conscious about our waste, which would be a good thing. But it could stink up the car, which would be a bad thing... so we'll have to see.

There's a charge for every time you go to the dump, but not for the amount (unless it's something big, like furniture). Bringing recycling to the dump is free.

We plan on composting, but I need to call again and ask the town about the rules.

Party Tonight!

Cascades Party in Troy! :-)

Customary Home Occupation!

An occupation or a profession which:

A.

Is carried on wholly within the enclosed walls of the dwelling unit exclusive of accessory structures and does not use more than 25% of the floor area.

B.

Is carried on by a member of the family in the dwelling unit.

C.

Is clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the dwelling unit for residential purposes.

D.

Does not employ more than one person outside the family.

E.

Shall not generate traffic beyond that normally expected in a residential neighborhood. Any need for parking generated by such use shall be provided in an off-street area, other than in a front yard.

F.

Shall not create noise, dust, vibration, odor, glare, fumes or electrical interference detectable by the normal senses of persons outside the dwelling unit. In the case of electrical interference, there shall be no radio or television disruption outside the dwelling unit or fluctuations in line voltages off the premises.

Signage

Where a home occupation is permitted by this chapter, nameplate signs may be used to identify the home occupation. Such signs shall not exceed two square feet in area and shall be building-mounted. The sign shall only indicate the nature of the home occupation. No pictorial, graphic or representational media shall be permitted.

Cookie

Real Business Person.

I feel like a real business person because I just installed QuickBooks.
Hmmm...

It's a beautiful morning!

Ah, gorgeous day!

Doorstop

It's great when people use your $500 as a fucking doorstop.

Terrible.

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."

"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage," Bardwell said. "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."

Yeah, geez, I mean, it's not like there's a bi-racial President of the United States of America, now.. is there?

Nobel

Hmm... I like Obama, don't get me wrong, but... does he deserve the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE?

Ha! The Storm is Coming...

These people suck ass. That's all.

Healthy Eating

No more bagels during the week. (Only the weekend)
-Whole wheat bread
-Hard-boiled eggs
-Low-fat Cottage Cheese
-Fruit