Paris, je t'aime

Here are some last photos form our visit to Paris. I am not sick of it yet. We are definitely eating enough to preserve the memories. in the butts of our jeans.

On Halloween we went to Pere Lachaise cemetery

and visited Jim Morrison's grave along with the rest of the tourists


Greg and I went on a walk down memory lane-
our old apartment complex-

and metro line-


Some more park pictures



and Sacre Coeur

There was a huge fabric market in montmartre that i hadn't visited yet-

Greg almost choked when i asked to buy some fabric for 55 euros/yard. we moved along our way:)

We also went to this Renoir exhibit at the Grand Palais


and that's all she wrote.


I'm so glad we got to visit. After a 7 hour flight to Bahrain, and then another 7 hour overnighter to Bangkok, we're on the second leg of this big fat journey. Bangkok is gigantic. Alarmingly gigantic. There are high end massive shopping centers piled on top of the sweetest street vendors next to beautiful Buddha shrines and traditional dancers. I am overwhelmed a little but ready to go be Carmen Sandiego.
loves

manger means to eat

Just some shots of the food, for my visceral memory's sake....
Greg and our seafood at Montparnasse

and at a boulangerie


Me at La Duree- home to france's best macarons-

here is what they look like:


Buying a baguette at the boulangerie

and our breakfast the last morning: raspberry tart and a mille feuilles (1,000 sheets)


a candy stand...


and Crepes by the eiffel tower:


Here was our first course at dinner on our last night:

real, live french onion soup. not live really. but real.

ok bye.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

le cercle de la vie

It is good to be here again. Greg and I have been visiting all our old haunts; the grocery stores, markets, boulangeries for fresh baguettes and pattisseries for mille feuilles galore. We've been walking and taking the metro, and letting the memories hit us like a ton of bricks

Here is my old school

and Greg at our old crepe stop.

The weather has been beautiful, so everyone is still out. I love the parks here- accessible and always full. We've seen so many artists, a french version of our pinewood derby, soccer games, boat racing and musicians. I have been on the lookout for the sartorialist, especially at Jardin des Tuileries, but no luck.
cafe at Jardin du Luxembourg

view of the Pantheon

Boat racing


I am having trouble speaking. Speaking in general and speaking up. I feel like I am in the land of the sexypants, so I'm getting nervous using my French. I forgot that everyone here is so sexy. An effortless, sylish, pardonnez-moi, sexy. Even the little children are my style icons. I am like a mute, cherry colored sore thumb in my track jacket sticking out here amidst their riding boots and sea of chic black.
example: me on metro in cherry red jacket. oops

but i still love it.

Here's greg at Notre Dame.

and at Saint-Michel metro stop. Our fave for eating and student-watching

I know it is awkward and boring to look at other people's vacation photos, but this is what we are doing...
Fallen leaves along the Seine

The Louvre at night


Greg brought croissants to our hotel room in the morning

a french man with his french dog


We visited the Eiffel Tower today to see the shimmering lights and tried to take a 'hello how are you' video. i may post that later. I will not post it tonight because i am trying to edit it because i dropped it in the mud and squealed.

Also today we went to see Le Roi Lion- Lion king on Paris Broadway or the equivalent. I don't know if the coming full circle/circle of life analogy would be appropriate here because I think it is used in terms of changing, but then coming back to your beginnings. And we did not begin here by any means. I am sure though, that coming here was a really special thing for both of us to do at the beginning of our marriage. we got to make plans and make dreams and be by ourselves, really by ourselves for a little bit. So I am grateful I am such a huge sap and thought the Lion King was speaking directly to me this afternoon. and I am sounding more and more like my mom every day of my life:)

ok, i'll post again soon. Our last day here is tomorrow. Sorry for the late catch up.

fifty nifty

Happy Big Birthday to my Uncle Tommy-

We started it off with hypothermia and good clean patriotism at the West Point/Rutgers football game.
Man those guys and dolls know how to march!

Tailgating

Saturday morning the guys went shooting. How manly! Greg only got a photo of Grandpa, but wouldn't you know that my Dad put up the targets to add elegant decor and healthy competition to the party room.
Here he is

and here they are. straightshooters.

the ladies in the kitchen


Uncle Tom's party was a grand success:




John's undefeated Pop Warner football team was also successful against Weston. Good Job Johnny!

more group shots :)




But we were still missing

SO

MANY

OF

YOU

GUYS

Love to all the family, and especially you, Uncle Tom
xox

Connecticut and then some

I went home a few days earlier than Greg to catch up with two old lovelies in the city. My friends are dispersing. Specifically Jackie moved to Pennsylvania with her new hubs to go to Law school. We met Maria and her main squeeze in New York to visit the MOMA, eat burritos, window shop, visit Uniqlo and eat some of that famous Brooklyn pizza.
in the subway- thanks for the pics maria. threefold.

MOMA


maria and rich

visiting diego and mr warhol. Jack old me these soups are in the order they were released.


we waited in line. and it was worth it. mmm




Then Jack and I went to Boston for a couple days, just like that song sang in my ear for a year on the radio. We decided we should tell our husbands it's time to move. There's just something about those yellow maple leaves that pulls out all the quaint New England yearning from my bones.
christian science center

us

NE aquarium jellies

Jack visits with Renoir at the MFA

and harvard square colors


love you girlies.
We missed you aubs!

this is what I did

before we left.

Only so there's no post mid December titled: "September and the beginning of October were so fun. Yay!"

So my Dad came to visit.

Which was a total treat because we never get him just to ourselves. seriously no offense mom. But you know, Dads and girls are just cute. We each got to spend a little time with him, where he asked us life plans and things like that. We also took some walks and ate a lot of good food including fried pickles.

Also, this stud turned backstreet boy turned 18. I really can't believe Scotty is so big. He was taller than me a while ago, but I will never forget hanging out with Greg and it was his 12th birthday. little stinker.
Here he is performing at the Sir Knight competition- kind of like a boys high school pageant

and then giving his very well thought-out answers in the Q&A section

and at a birthday dinner with Greg at JCW's.

Happy boys and their cheese fries.

Crew, my 2nd oldest nephew turned four and I attended his annual costume birthday party. October is a GREAT month for a birthday, I think, because the weather is still new and exciting. Also the costumes and candy.

Greg couldn't come because he was in Miami with these guys watching a friend from high school's Miami Dolphins game.


AND
I just had to re-post this pic from Facebook from Sheri's shower. I know everyone isn't in this, but I MISS you girls! I'm glad I made it before we left..



I am catching up on my blogging because I am the only person in this travel duo who seems to be affected by the six or something hour time change. odd.

also..
Some people are outside my window having the most fab time singing to sexy music probably drunk as a skunk..
We are staying by Montparnasse, an area that used to be filed with lots of famous artists, but now has more art students, galleries, and places to paint and buy paint.
Of course I am enraptured.
I like that it's an area where people live, not vacation, so we're going back to the little boulangerie in the morning to get the bread, croissants, and pain au chocolat that greg dreams about...

Speaking of this; one time I was telling greg how often he was in my dreams. Most nights actually, even if I am dreaming of Massachusetts, or that I'm going to the beach and I'm a little girl, he is always there. I asked Greg if he dreamt about me a lot and he said when he can remember his dreams, they are of his mission and food. That hurt my feelings for some dumb reason. I think it's funny now. So funny I can post it on a whim :)

I am obviously suffering from jet-lag induced insomnia because I may hever never written so much in a post in the history of all my posts. ok byeeee
i mean au revoir!

first of all...

I wouldn't read this book:

unless you are in the mood to read about brutal killings and innocent men being skinned alive- in detail. I know there was some japanese-chinese war history mixed in there, but for the most part I was thinking how unlike its movie the book was turning out to be.

The movie that was made after this book was one I had to watch for an anthropology class some years ago- and this movie was about love and family tradition. I will say those things were included in the writing, but some of the war images may never leave my imagination after the book made me envision guts spilling out everywhere..

I am just trying to keep to my goal about writing and recording the books I'm reading that are making an impact. Usually I'm safe with my choices because I stick to the classics, NY Times bestsellers, and Oprah's recommendations- which turn into both of those things. I'm not very adventurous- or a very good reader of nonfiction.
There. I said it.

displaced

So Greg and I are in Connecticut, and leaving for a 2 monther. We are excited. I am nervous a little. and chubbier from my mom's food in front of my face all the time. I am also in love with New England in the fall, and missing utah loves. I'm sure my posting will be sporadic...or at least in spurts of a few at a time. Bear with me.
Au Revoir les etats unis.

deep thoughts

from a fortune cookie.

There are times when I need cheap chinese food in my body. Times like New years and the day after Columbus day.
so I ate some with my sister.

and this was my fortune:
"seek out the significance of your problem at this time. Try to understand it."

what? like i have only one problem!? Since when are fortune cookies getting so personal?

Carla got something like, "You are great at making money and saving it for something perfect and rewarding."

missing you summertime

i miss eating snow cones


and summertime sunsets.


the leaves went from red to brown in 2 days, and now there's snow.

also:
i have a cold.
and i am cold.
and am wearing socks.