Reconciling Saints

So last we saw our travelers, they were sitting and enjoying their champagne. Little were they aware of just how long it would take them to board the train. Without a care in the world, they finished the champagne and wandered lazily down to check-in. What they didn't know was that security would take FOREVER!

London and I were caught up in security where they decided to take our suitcases apart ONE PIECE AT A TIME! Really??!? Really. Really?? So Jane and Mlle_Aubergine went ahead to get on the train while London and I had to try to explain to security that, if that was all, we really had to get to the train as they had just called final boarding. Sheesh. We barely made it. There was talk of putting us on the next train, but they relented and let us through. We had to jump into the first set of open doors which happened to be car 4 so we had to stow our luggage there and then make our way ALLLL the way down to car 17, where Jane and Mlle were wondering if we even made the train.

Once we made it to Gare du Nord in Paris (the trip was MUCH shorter than I expected, but still fun) we were ready to go. Unfortunately, once we were on the Metro, we realized that the station we needed to switch trains at was CLOSED for that line, so the Metro ride ended up being a bit of a downer due to luggage. Ever carry a suitcase up and down stairs?? I'm not talking just a few stairs either... Inevitably, one of us took a tumble (that would be me) and ended up with some scraped knees.Each knee has one, but I figured you only needed a picture of one to... well, get the picture.
Once we FINALLY got to our flat, we quickly surveyed the place, threw down our luggage, did a quick clean up and went off to grab some much needed food (all we'd had that day was the mixed nuts, olives and cheeses with our champagne). Off we set to meet up with Maile and Tim at Le Fumoir near the Louvre.

I haven't seen them since my wedding so it was great to hang out with them and offer up my congratulations in person (they're engaged). After dinner we went 'round the way for drinks. To get there, Tim took his scooter and offered me (the gimp) a ride, but I offered my ride up to Jane as she has a new fascination with motorcycles and scooters.

We left the bar at about 2am (Maile had to start a new job at 9am this morning) and I had to talk to taxi drivers in my broken and forgotten French to figure out if anyone would take 4 people in there car and if they knew where Rue Servan (the street our flat is on) was. The driver said he spoke very little English and I told him that between his English and my French, I was sure that we could get by. We did but not without the kids making fun of me speaking drunk and broken French! You'd think we'd be done with the story by know, however, we all decided to get online and check our email, etc. and crack open a bottle of wine ('cause that's what we needed, right?). 3 hours later (well, Jane went down earlier) and we FINALLY decided that Paris would get more of us tomorrow.

So we got champagne at The Champagne Bar whilst waiting for the train at St. Pancras.

Well the flight here was interesting. This was the first time I had a connecting flight. THEN after meeting up with JuggleJane (who was only 2 rows behind us) we had an EXTRA long flight to London. Why?! WHY!? ... you might ask? Well, somewhere in hour 2 of the flight, an announcement was made over the PA asking if there was a doctor on board. I shit you not, this doesn't just happen in movies. Then... THEN... not long after having passed New York, we get an announcement that they've been "busy in the cockpit" and we were going to have to reroute to Newark for a medical emergency and that the ambulance would meet us there and take the passenger away. Since we would be on the ground, they were going to refuel and replenish their food stock.

Oh joy!
So I did what anyone would do... I drank.

That picture looks weird 'cause it was taken sideways as Mlle_Aubergine was holding the computer since we were in a cramped area (I went sideways to make it look right side up).

Anyway.... after much traveling (I'll spare you that part, but we got in 3 HOURS later than we were supposed to!) we got to London's, we went for dinner at a great Turkish place (that gave us moist towelettes that smelled...well... man-ish!) and now we're heading over to Liad's to drink s'more.

Images so far:

Does anyone ever click on my post titles? Do you guys know that sometimes I post links up there?

Curious...

It's mostly videos or songs that inspire me or the post.

The more I write the more I feel whole. I don't know what it is since sometimes writing also makes me the most insane because I can't seem to wrangle the words at all. Not to, though, is almost a fate worse than death.

Weird.

I'm still working on the novel that I started on for NaNoWriMo because I want to see what happens to them, I want to know what they do... my characters in that story. I remember rereading part of it one night when I was trying to see where I had left off last and thinking, "Oh my god! They're real! I created them... they're real!" Nutty!

The novel has no title yet and I'm not sure what the charcters are doing aside from the fact that they're just doing and they amuse me. That's why I write. *shrugs*

So this whole "lost" feeling is fading. It comes and goes. Mainly I get it when ... well I don't know, I just know that sometimes the door swings the wrong way and I cannot help it. That's when I see the terrible, that when I feel the worst. I always know that the door will swing back the other way, but in that time, it's all about dealing with which way the door has swung this time.

I don't know how to talk about this without sounding like a lunatic... or like I'm 16... which is the same thing really.

I try not to censor myself on my blog because this is supposed to be a space for me to talk about how I feel and what I don't like and what's making me cream my jeans. So I try to make it so that I don't whine (much), I don't talk about feeling horrible or feeling elated too much. Generally I think I sound 16 when writing about any of the aforementioned... so... I suppose I just have the depth of a 16 year old!

Right...

So I'm sorter back... as in I'm back until something shiny distracts me... So, basically I'm back until Wednesday when I'm in London.

or slight of hand... what ever

It's true!

I've so much to do, so much on my mind, that I need to get done before I leave on Tuesday that I wouldn't be surprised if I did.

So how about a little something to distract us, huh?



Ah! Now that's better!

I need a vacation! This is what my latest mood has me thinking. SERIOUSLY!

...and look at that! I'll be on vacation in exactly ONE WEEK! That works out well now, doesn't it?

I'm lucky, I know. Seriously lucky and the recent depression bout was sort of uncalled for seeing as I have it pretty damn good. What can I do??? I'm crazy; I blame genetics.

So! I've not written about it on here because it feels like gloating. However...however!... I think I need to talk about this.

So in a week's time I'm off to Europe. We're touching down in London and picking up one of my best friends, London, and taking the train over to Paris. Before we depart we will be having some champagne at the Champagne Bar at St. Pancrass to celebrate that we can.
That's right, London, Mlle_Aubergine, JuggleJane and I will be heading over to Paris, in part to celebrate Mlle's birthday and also to visit the brilliant Maile! Mlle_Aubergine's birthday will be celebrated in HIGH fashion on the Eiffel Tower at the Jules Verne because 40 is fabulous! ... and that's how we roll. Maile graduates this year from University so we're also celebrating her triumphs... and OH YEAH she got engaged! So there's that too. London graduates this year from St. Martin's (he's getting his masters), so he's another reason we're celebrating. I like to think that Jane and I are celebrating life... and going our own ways... and the awesome people in our lives. That's a lot of celebrating!

After Paris, Mlle_Aubergine, Juggle Jane and I are heading off to Prague. This was one of the requests Mlle made as to places she wanted to go to for her birthday. From Prague we're moving on back to London for 3 days and loafing around there with London again (everyone needs a London in London), where I better get a chance to visit my favorite wine bar, Gordon's! It looks unassuming from the outside

yet looks like this inside (which is technically downstairs... and apparently in technicolor in comparison to that dreary black and white of outside!)

Seriously!

I'm one lucky girl! I should be slapped for complaining! I should be slapped for gloating! I dunno... I feel pretty damn special and it always irks me when I forget the good friends I do have! I have nothing to complain about, not even that the boyo isn't going (I do wish he could go), and yet there I was complaining.

Oh the places I go! The friends I have!

I don't want to be anyone but me... not ever!

I'm having disconnect issues.

The thing is that I know that there's a place for me out there somewhere. I know that there are people that get me and I know that somewhere out there there's a place called home where I feel I belong.

It might just be that I'm still getting used to here. I'm not sure why I still feel this way and maybe this is just part of the settling process. I'm still feeling like a fish out of water, but I have nothing to compare it to as I've never moved.

Dunno.

I just feel like I've not found my place yet, haven't found my niche yet. Maybe I haven't found my voice entirely either. I don't know.

Something just doesn't feel right and I'm having a hard time connecting recently. The cold and this feeling that I just can't shake have kept me from posting. I feel a thousand miles away from everyone and I generally feel like I speak a different language.

Every last fiber in my body feels off and I'm trying to get through... I just thought you should know.

It's with much sadness that I announce that one of my favorite little wine bars in Long Beach, Casa Vino, is closing its doors.


CasaVino opened right when we moved to Long Beach and we spent some great times there. Pocket had her birthday there, the boyo and I had a raucous date night there, London and I met Wes #9 and bought some excellent wine, and there were gatherings with Chloe for a more sophisticated venue for our usual conversations.

For anyone in the Long Beach area, the official closing party is next Saturday the 21st of March starting at 5pm and closing in usual CasaVino fashion, "whenever."

Well, just know that one boy in London and this girl and the boyo in Portland will miss knowing that CasaVino is around in Long Beach whenever we go back to visit. The Notorious Long Beach 4 (usually without Amanda, unfortunately) had some great times there.

the video for your viewing pleasure.

New Röyksopp out on the 23rd... but you can listen to it by clicking the link under the pic or on their myspace page.

So I don't know if you remember this, but Londonsquared sent me a link to this Kate Micucci song, Dear Deer.

Well after scouring the internets for ALL of Kate's stuff I thought I'd present you with some more. I really like her solo stuff the you can find on her myspace page or on you tube. She's really quite good and she has cute songs that are funny yet poignant. She makes me smile.



Then there's the songs she does with Riki Lindhome, where they go by Garfunkel and Oates. These are quirky and generally just... funny. There are more than a few that I think would be great to play to people to convey the message. :)



For all my friends in LA, I think you should go and check her out every third Monday at the Steve Allen Theater. Unfortunately, the March show is cancelled, but there's always April (Who knows, Chloe, maybe there's one right before your birthday???)! Go on... Play with Micucci.
AND! and... I'd like to add that if you go to her website, you can see the neat drawings that Kate makes (like the one above) and the GREAT sand castles she makes on the beach.

Awesome.

Email received right as I was getting ready to close up shop:

Hey Ceci: I just checked in and got through security - it didn't look like the air miles were entered - just a little reminder for next time.
Thanks for your help,
[one of the guys]

I give up!

GIVE UP!

there's a bottle of wine at home, I believe...

It's 4pm

I have a headache.

Today has been a total fail. I feel like work isn't going too well, although not technically my fault. I just feel like I SHOULD know these guys by now to know what they'll need. I should have known that someone was going to need flip charts made since I knew they were flying off to see the client today.
...
Wait... wait... no... no I wouldn't have known this since this wasn't supposed to be a training but an introduction to other associates today. One does not need Flip Charts for that. Still, I needed to get these printed by 2pm. The place we usually use requires 24 hour notice. Thankfully, if they're slow enough (and they were today) they CAN get it done by 2pm if they get the files to print by 8am.

*sigh*

I've also had a panic-y day because I had not received the confirmation for our tickets from Prague to the UK, and I did not want the cost to be more than it already was. Got that resolved though, and got that confirmation.

THEN... then... there was still the locating of a place in Prague since the original place had doubled their prices and well, it seems everyone got wise to the fact that people do indeed travel to Prague in the late winter/ early spring. Poop!. However, thank you to Jane for overseeing that and getting us a place to stay!

THEN... there were the flats I was inquiring about for Paris. It's tough to get a response from them! Finally we got one going that didn't require 30% on top of the rent for the agency fee and the equivalent of the rent for the week as a deposit! However, I'm short about $300 to secure that one (and no, it's not $300 to secure... that's just what I'm short). Ooof!

Not to mention that the plan for tonight's movie night is to go see the Watchman as a field trip and one of the originators of this suggestion went over the weekend with other friends and someone else decided that she'd watch it more than once and see it. It just makes me wonder... why am I going??? I'm not a huge movie person ANYWAY, why am I doing this??? Because unlike a movie I really want to see (like the field trip to JCVD), this is one that I can frankly take or leave. No talking during the movie like we do in someone's house. It's theater! I'm sure our puns and sarcasm would not go over well. PLUS being a big time action movie, I didn't know that the movie theater chosen was a mom and pop place. While that might be fine for A Room With a View or something, I dunno that the Watchman will look all that impressive to me if not seen how it's supposed to be seen. Had someone mentioned this to me when I chimed in with a "yeah, that's cool!" I probably would have changed my vote. Do you people think I know Portland movie houses??? I mean... I want to support the mom and pop place... and I do like to avoid the stadium seating, average-joe gathering 100-plex, however, there is a time and place for certain things.

*groans * Seriously!

I don't think I'm fit for human consumption today, however I don't want to flake on William who seems very keen to see it... ANNNDDDDD... and it just seems stupid to spend money when my problem is that I don't have enough ON my card to cover a GOD DAMN DEPOSIT!

... and NO! I don't have any cheese for this whine!

I just feel like I failed in the whole trip in that I couldn't get all together nicely like I was supposed to. My Cruise Director status is going to be revoked, I just know it!

So the marvelous Chloe sent me a link to this little town in Austria

The day I leave for Europe... is the same day that Rasputina will be playing here in Portland.

Mlle_Aubergine made me something at art.com using the art pad.

I say the right things but act the wrong way
I like it right here but I cannot stay
I watch the TV; forget what I'm told
Well, I am too young, and they are too old
Oh, man, can't you see I'm nervous, so please
Pretend to be nice, so I can be mean
I miss the last bus, we take the next train
I try but you see, it's hard to explain

~The Strokes~

I have nothing better to post
well I DO but... I'm zapped! I don't know what it is...