Jason and Ashleigh in Paris

Hello all, I went to Paris again this past weekend to see some friends from home. Jason and Ashleigh came in on Saturday morning so I decided to meet them over at the hotel early. That way they would not have a chance to sleep and be jet-lagged all week. I met them around 9:30 at the Hotel Europe and we went to walk the beautiful streets of Paris. First we stopped by a cafe for some much needed coffee! Then we walked over to the Eiffel Tower and down through the park just in front of it. Over to the Louvre to see that famous pyramid of triangles made even more famous by Dan Brown and The DaVinci Code. We walked sooo much! Over to the Champs Elysees and to the Arc de Triomphe to finish. Then I let them head over to the Hotel for a little nap and so they could get ready for dinner at La Maison de Campagne. They were kind enough to buy my dinner and I was very happy to accept! It was really nice and we were fortunate because the waiter turned out to be an Irish ex-patriate so I was able to speak French and they spoke in English. The next day I met them at 1:00pm at the Musee D'Orsay because I did not realize it was daylight savings time to change and Spring Forward so I woke up late. It was nice to that museum because I had never been. The whole museum is nice and not crowded until you get to the 5th floor where the Impressionist's are. Then the place is crowded and it's hard to get a great view without being patient. The paintings are simply beautiful, I love Monet the most I think. Van Gogh is no slouch but I think that Monet had a better style and grace. Afterwards we went to a cafe and had a late lunch sandwich and coffee before I had to go and catch my train. It was a great weekend and now I have to hit the gym and pay the piper. It feels early but only because of the daylight savings. Well, I hope all of you are doing well and I will post again soon.

Spring Is Just Around The Corner

It has been absolutely beautiful here in Lyon this past week. I have been able to go roller-blading 4 times so far around Lyon and always in the Parc de La Tete D'Or. Which is a huge park in the North of the city where the whole city goes when it is nice outside. Last Thursday I skated up there to play some soccer with my peoples. We played and lazed in the sun for hours. I was so fatigued that I could not go to the gym that day! Then I went out on Saturday night with some Aussies ( of course ), and I also met some Swedes. The stereotype is true, they are all beautiful!!! However they are not all blonde. The one that I took a liking to was a blonde, and like every other girl that I like she has a boyfriend. Who apparently fits her like a glove as I have been told. So Sunday was the free-day and I woke up after being shifted into another bed when Mads got back from her rave. I went back to sleep and when I got up I had 2 bowls of this great Muesli with lots of chocolate chips! Then I grug over to the market to get some things for the rest of the week and that night. I love to get one of the spit-roasted chickens from some really jovial characters there. They are always singing and chatting with everyone so it always makes me smile to see them.
Next was off to the park again to meet an entourage and munch on some chips. I had planned to play soccer but I think everyone was happier talking and sitting in the sun so who was I to change that perfect setting! I did roller there and back so even on my day off I got some exercise. Which is good because I came home and made some broccoli and chicken pasta with parmasan, cream, and lemon zest. Not to mention the half pint of Haagen-Daaz that I ate afterwards. It was a nice weekend with great weather but it is now getting a little chilly again. Hopefully it will be nice next weekend when I go to see Jason and Ashley in Paris. Not looking forward to paying 90+ euros for the return fair but I would never miss seeing them. OK, that is enough for today I am going to me couche bientot. Ciao

Murphyslaw Strikes, then backfires!!!

Bonjour a Tous! I have a great story to tell you all. I had planned to go skiing yesterday with a large group of friends. We purchased a group package for 27 euros. In all there were 12 of us from about 5 nations and four continents that joined in on the plan. We all had to meet at Belle Cours by 5:55am when the bus was scheduled to leave. Although France is known for being late, when it comes to transportation they are usually right on time. So, I could not fall asleep the night before. Probably because I had been fighting sleep all day since I got home at 5:00am on Friday night from an international gathering the night before. I left at about 3:40am but decided to walk home so that I could get up early and clean the apartment before the landlords stopped by with the new fridge. I arose at 10:30am and cleaned the place with a nice hangover. Then, I went to the gym because they had not arrived. They said sometime in the afternoon so I continued to wait. Finally, I went to the store to buy groceries for the trip and eventually they arrived at 8:00pm. I guess that is technically afternoon! Then I watched the Miss Europe Pageant. I am not a paegent kind-of-guy but it was my brother Fred's show and he wanted me too watch it. I went to bed around midnight but fell asleep somewhere between 2:00-3:00am. The next thing I know my phone is ringing and it's Mad's. I thought she was calling to make sure I was awake but it turns out it was 5:55am and the bus was about to roll out. No chance to get there in 5 minutes so after having bought my ticket and renting my skiis I thought that it was all in vain. I received several phone calls from Maddy and Jo after that telling me to get a train to Grenoble and then hitching a ride or finding a bus. That seemed a little bit too much of a shot in the dark so I started to get back in the bed smoldering with anger and envy. Then my phone ribbits ( I have a frog chime ) with a message saying that the bus is en panne or broken down at a gas station. The station is only about 10 minutes by taxi and they tell me I have 30 minutes before the bus arrives. I hopped out of bed, called Allo Taxi, put some sandwiches and edibles in my bag and went straight down to meet the taxi! Amazingly, the bus was about 12km away and after another 22 euros for the cab fair I rejoined my friends and had a great day skiing. Moral of the story, never give up when you can call a cab!!!
Hope that you enjoyed that little anecdote, it will be a memory of mine for years to come. Yesterday I went to the Parc De La Tete D'Or with Maddy her man Mauricio, Anna, Claire, Lynette, etc... for a little fun in the finally warm sun!!! I rollered there in my skates that I got the 2nd month here. I did not fall yesterday so I think that I am starting to get my feet back. My goal is to be able to navigate the streets really well and have a proficiency in skating backwards since I would like to pick up hockey again when I get back home. For all those interested I am still in the "Zone." I have lost around 4-5kgs so far. That is about 10-12pds for those who are not savvy with the metric system. Which, by the way, is so much more efficient and easy to use than the fucking standard system that we use in the US. Americans need to jump on board and we should be more like the English in tranferring our youth completely to metric by teaching them both in school. However, with the bold and STUPID "No Child Left Behind" doctrination of our bumbling 4 more years President I think that we are sliding back in time.
OK, I don't feel like standing on the soapbox right now on such a beautiful day so I am going to the gym, class, and then maybe even the Generation Roller tonight. That is a 15km skate around Lyon. They shut the streets down in front of and behind a huge group of roller bladers. Going to be some fun tonight!

Toodles...

Hitting the Slopes

This weekend is my first adventure into the French Alps for a little skiing. There is a big group of about 15-20 of us going through a service that we found that is cheap and reputed to be a nice group of slopes. Not that I am going to have any clue since it has been about 12 years since I went skiing and I had only been a few times before that. The main concern I have is the fact there was 55,000 injuries in France last season attributed to winter sports, or in otherwords skiing and snowboarding. I have just started the BFL Challenge and I am in week 2 so I am hoping that I do not go up there and screw it all up by getting a broken foot, leg, or arm! That would be just my style I think. Its not so much that I think I will fall and break something as much as I am worried about someone else running into me and causing damage like the last time I went skiing. I was plowed into by a friend of mine, I was already down and he tried something stupid above me on the slope to show-off, fell and planted both of his skis in my leg, did not break it but bruised it to the bone I can assure you. Well, I am supposed to be in class now and I have a test at around 1:00pm so I better run and get to it. Talk to you all later, looks like I have to come back for the end of May and first few days of June for a wedding. Congratulations Timmy! Never thought you would be first before Brendon or myself. No worries, wish the two of you the very best and I will see you in June I wreckon!

Snowing in Lyon

It is Saturday here in Lyon and it is snowing with a fury. It is not really sticking anywhere but the rooftops and grassy areas. I think that there is enough salt on the streets and roads already to re-create the Sahara desert. Anywho, I have started the EAS 2005 BFL challenge. I have decided to start another blog to outline this so it does not take up too much time in this site. The address is http://www.thereunionchallenge.blogspot.com and I am updating it daily with my menu and workouts.Anyways, life here in Lyon is pretty normal. Although my roommate is not happy with my decision to "faire une regime." This is mainly because he has become accustomed to my cooking and I am no longer buying groceries together. Sorry, but when I want something I have to be a little selfish as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. That would be an arguable point for him because I have tasted his food and seen him burn fried eggs.
My roommate is trying to tell my how great Mariah Carey is and how her new album is going to sell double-platinum. I think he is crazy, maybe crazier than that crazy-ass singer herself. He also thinks that she is all-real. That is to say that she has never had any plastic surgery. I have to agree with Sharon Ozbourne and say that Mariah has the best boob-job in the business. Time will tell, just look back at some of the old album covers, where did the A-cup turn into a D-cup? Come on Mariah, they are fake, nice but fake.Thats all, and enough for now. Miss all of you, have a great Spring Break for those of you at UNCC.

Back into the Zone

I have decided to do another EAS challenge. For those of you who do not know what this is I will explain it to you. A few years ago I was living in Myrtle Beach, SC. I moved there to help my sister open up a business and started working in a local restaurant. I was in the worst shape of my life, a lot like right now. So, I decided to do the EAS Transformation Challenge. It is a 12 week program of my choice and the objective can be to lose weight, gain muscle, etc. I entered the challenge at 232 pounds and at about 17.5% body fat. During the course of my program I followed a very strict diet 6 days a week and only took 1 day off. My workout routine was very rigorous work-out, with an average of 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day including a 30-45 mintute cardio session. I followed the program religously for 10 1/2 weeks until my best friend's wedding. After that weekend I let myself believe that I did not have a chance and did not send in my photos to be judged. My last measurements at that time showed that I significantly reduced my bodyfat to 10%. This test was administered by a licensed P.T. My weight fell to 189 pounds and I looked good enough to feel comfortable on a beach around Brad Pitt. Since I am in horrible shape I have decided to give it another go and this time make it stick. I am starting the challenge this week when I recieve my entry packet. The only thing I have to buy is a product from the company to take every day of the challenge. Not a large investment if you look at how much you spend eating out in a month. However, the products are very good and I do not mind taking a protein supplement and vitamins. That said, I would like to invite anyone to join me. This is not just a fakie competition with one crap prize like Men's Health. There are 2 grand prizes for the winner in the male and female categories worth $100,000, and many first prizes worth $25,000 each. Plus, the greatest part of all is that you get a great physique and a healthy lifestyle jump-start. I am doing this from France and so I will be calculating and translating in kilograms to pounds. I think that I am even going to build another blog for the occasion as well. I am thinking of posting my workouts, pictures, and diet. That is kinda scary considering I resemble a Walrus at the moment. I know I can complete this and I hope that I have your attention and support. I will let you know the website when it is operational. Bonne Chance!!!

Been awhile, been bored, been sleeping

Hello All!!! I have been in Paris since the 10th of February. The first few days here were very nice with Fred and the contestants for the 2005 Miss Europe competition. The girls were all gorgoeus and well-dressed but I think that if I had to stay around them longer than dinner I would have gone crazy, or spontaneously combusted. After Fred left to head down to Djerba, Tunisia to film the beach section of the show I became a bored-ass MoFo.
I know that its hard to believe that one can be bored in Paris, but it happened. The weather was not so nice and since I have already seen all of the sights I was not in the mood to hang out at the Eiffel or march up the L'Arc de Triomphe. So, I caught up on my sleep and watched a lot of TV and movies, chez Fred. I also did some walking and a lot of reading. Finally I had a friend arrive on Wednesday and that has given me someone to talk to and hang out with. Although today I slept until about 12:30, but stayed in the bed until a quarter after 1:00.
I have been doing a little reflecting since in Paris. I have tracked down a few friends from High School, if you google them you can find them! One is playing basketball not too far away in the city of Ferrara, just outside of Venice. Another is a Real Estate agent in Charlotte and the surrounding area, and the last is a case manager for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America. All-in-all it was very nice to reconnect with them. I then learned that the High School Reunion I thought I was going to miss, is actually in August. So that means that I will have to go, but after talking to the friends I had recently reconnected with I think it might be fun. There are a few that I am not looking forward to seeing, but I will just spend my time around those that are more important to me.
Well, I am applying to internships at the moment and if I recieve the ones with either Bank of America or Wachovia I will probably be back sometime in the beginning of June. This is all up in the air and based on what happens in interviews I will be having over the phone in the next month or so. I will keep everyone posted on what happens and when I will be back in town.

BD, BD, BD, uh BD That's all Folks!

Back in the Saddle

Hello all. I am back to some sort of routine here in Lyon. Lately it has been a routine of working and sleeping for large chumks of time. I had these huge black bags under my eyes and now they are shrinking since I have started to sleep a lot more. I do not know if the 2 are related but I do feel a lot better. Anywho, I purchased a gym memebership and connected myself to the internet. For any of you wondering about my current school situation here is the results of last semester.

French- 5.5/20 It was just too advanced for my level and the teacher agreed. Trying again this semester. Wish me luck!!!

Managing Global business- 11/20 This is about a B- in the US. I believe that the professor did not like my paper topic, which was the solitary mode of assessment for the class. Argued against the current NAFTA and primarily CAFTA free trade agreements. He is a big FTA's rule the world advocate no matter if it plunges the locals into poverty kind of guy.

Finance- 16/20 The equivalent of an A in the States. The class was actually a breeze. I studied about 3 hours over the entire semester. Thank you Mrs. Yarbrough!!!

Organizational Behaviour- 17/20 This was the shining star of the group. The class was a little boring but it was very easy because it is all qualitative analysis. Did my presentation on FedEx with a Danish guy and a Swedish girl and we rocked the house. Wrecking the competition. Not to mention I think that I killed the final.

That's it, I am working a job 12 hours a week during the morning and I really could not take any other classes last semester. I am still trying to work out my schedule this semester and with the job it is proving to be difficult. I may only have around 9 hours in comparison to our system but I do not think that they will have any idea until August and it will be too late by then to be a problem. Going to try and get a couple more classes in but they are all conflicting with my prior commitments with the Rectorat. I would quit but I cannot afford not to be making the extra cash.

Going to Paris in 2 days, got my tickets today. Fred is going to Tunisia to film the Miss Europe material so I am going to watch after the cat, Phoebe. I will be there for 17 days and I am skipping a week of class to go. I am such a bad student here but I am enjoying my time in France to the maximum. Who knows if I will ever be able to come back, you know? I really do not have any plans. I am going to try and get a couple days in at a local bakery to learn the craft of baguettes and work on my croissants. Luckily the Parisians are usually a little easier to get into than the ones here in Lyon. The Lyonaiss can take a long time to warm-up to you.

Well, as always I miss everyone back home and I will see you soon. Looking like the end of July since Brendon is planning to come over in July for a visit in Paris. I look forward to coming home and moving forward with my studies and career but I definitely do not want to leave this place. I love it here.

Gros Bisous a Tous!!!!

Here is the old gipper now! 

The Queen of the Night! 

Me, Mad, Autumn, Arno(birthday boy), Laurence, and Noémie 

Here we are at Anna's to say our last farewell to Isabelle 

Sometimes I hate technology!!!

OK, so I had a nice little entry going and clicked the old spell check for this damn site and it erased my entire entry in the transfer. Basically I was going on a little about how I like Lyon, but I love Paris. Not in the way that there is all of the history and museums. Really more or less because it is a city that is alive. Plus, at any moment you can look up and see the Eiffel Tower. Don't get me wrong I love Lyon as well. It is just a different city and the people here are not as friendly, they still have a hunk of cheese up there ass from the Bourguoise days. Luckily I have lots of international friends and a few frenchies that I have adopted friends from. As always I am cooking all the time. I am really hurting for some of my cookbooks or recipes from home though. I wish I had them here but it would have been a lug ehh?
The teaching assisantship is getting better daily. I am putting in a little more time and energy and it is paying off with a lot more sanity. I tried to go and see the Bocuse D'or but it was too expensive on my budget. It was a 10 euro fare each way and 50 euros at the door. I would have only seen 2 hours and I couldn't afford it. I know the Serge Viera won the coveted effagy of Mr. Bocuse. The Norwegians took 2nd and I believe the Danes 3rd. The Americans did not place in any category so maybe I should find a nice stagiare somewhere soon too.
Still have not found La Bonne, not really looking either. Maybe she will turn up when I am least expecting it. On verras, uh? OK, going to post some pictures of the last week or so.

Back in Paris

Well, after two weeks and another weekend in Paris you would think that I had enough. However, due to a technical difficulty I am back in Paris again. What was the difficulty you ask? Last week I looked for a cheap last-minute ticket to Paris and found one for 35 euros. However, the computer pulled up tickets for this week and I did not notice the difference so I bought a non-refundable, non-reimboursable ticket for the 13th instead of the 6th, ooops. So, even though I could have saved myself the return fair I decided to come up one more time. It is the last time I can make it for a while and I do love Paris. Although I am very lazy so I really do not do any sightseeing. Not necesarry really since I have been to Paris twice before and have seen the sights. I am trying to be more Parisian and just have fun with Fred and friends.
Work is going, not going great, but going. I am at a plateau with some of the classes and the teachers do not really care to help me plan the lessons or control the class too much. I need to find some new ways to get through to the kids that do not drain the pocket too much. If you have any ideas I am all ears. The Rectorat likes games, songs, and things of this nature but it g can be more of a problem for some of my "rougher" classes in the ghetto of Lyon. I will keep you posted on how things go.
My love life. I really have not had time in the last month to meet anyone new and so I am still single. Sometimes it is irritating but I enjoy my freedom and I think that when I meet "her" or "la bonne" it will inevitably feel right I hope and everything will work out. As everyone knows I am not much of the one-night stand types so no juicy bits to reveal to you at this time.
Is anyone listening? I try to write something on this blog every week but I come to find that there are only a few people who actually post a comment. So, if you stop in let me know by leaving a comment for me to read. Just click on the comment button and it will provide a link . You do not have to sign-up for anything and it will show anonymous so you can just type your name in the text box.

Miss you all, have a beer over at the Saucer for me.

I am one ugly girl!!! This is about 8 or 9 drinks into the evening. 

Hilarious, there is a show here that has two comedians and they did a skit with a guy acting like Cindy Crawford, Fred is re-creating it! 

No Caption Needed! Thomas, Fred, and Me 

Here we go, into the costumes. This is Myriam and my brother Fred. 

Deborah, Me, and Elaine. We had dinner one night last week and I made Halibut with Risotto aux girolles.  

Here is Mal, Mad, and Cass. I have gotta go to Australia!!!