18 September 2007
12 September 2007
Celebrate
Yes, today's my 39th birthday, and we celebrated this evening with dinner at the little Korean place on the boulevard. It's nice - they open early (7-7:30) and with Korean you always get the panchan quickly so nobody starves. Anyway, it was very nice, and now the boys are down and we're watching France play Scotland in soccer. Paris was full of at least 15,000 drunken, kilted Scotsmen today. While the boys had their first Wednesday afternoon sports practices, the Scots were gathering at the Eiffel Tower before marching to the stadium. During sports, the sound of singing got louder and louder. We walked by just after practice at 6pm, which apparently was when the police decided to move the fans along - all we saw was their backs as they swarmed across the river, plus roughly 50,000 empty and smashed beer bottles and cans. They're all still singing. I'm told the French and Scots are pretty goohttp://beta.blogger.com/img/gl.photo.gifd sports pals, given the common enemy (England) and the generally unthreatening sporting nature of each country. That holds with what I saw at a Paris St-Germain soccer match last year, a cup match against a Scottish side. I've never heard such friendly, good-natured cheering among rival fans.
My big birthday celebration happened Sunday, when we sorta spontaneously had 18 people over (well, us plus 14). We were going to go out, but Meredith volunteered to cook for us, so she made real southern fried chicken with dirty rice and gravy, and others brought wine, cheese, bread, desserts, etc. The 11 adults (two who don't really drink) went through 10.5 bottles of wine and half a bottle of liquor, and the last guest left at 1:45am. Yes, SUNDAY night. So Monday wasn't so easy. But the party was really fun, not just for me but I think for all.
(Man, you can type a lot during a 0-0 match! Crap, Scotland just scored.)
The Rugby World Cup is also going on in France this month and next. France is generally thought of as one of the 4-6ish best rugby teams in the world, but lost their opening match. The city and country have gone rugby crazy though, as the Eiffel Tower hints. The USA has started with two losses, but still has a chance to win one before going home. I was given a ticket to South Africa vs England at the Stade de France Friday, so that should be excellent! Turns out they sell beer at rugby matches, though not at soccer - kinda encapsulates their fans' behavior, it seems.
Enough about these petty celebrations - DO NOT forget this next week!
My big birthday celebration happened Sunday, when we sorta spontaneously had 18 people over (well, us plus 14). We were going to go out, but Meredith volunteered to cook for us, so she made real southern fried chicken with dirty rice and gravy, and others brought wine, cheese, bread, desserts, etc. The 11 adults (two who don't really drink) went through 10.5 bottles of wine and half a bottle of liquor, and the last guest left at 1:45am. Yes, SUNDAY night. So Monday wasn't so easy. But the party was really fun, not just for me but I think for all.
(Man, you can type a lot during a 0-0 match! Crap, Scotland just scored.)
The Rugby World Cup is also going on in France this month and next. France is generally thought of as one of the 4-6ish best rugby teams in the world, but lost their opening match. The city and country have gone rugby crazy though, as the Eiffel Tower hints. The USA has started with two losses, but still has a chance to win one before going home. I was given a ticket to South Africa vs England at the Stade de France Friday, so that should be excellent! Turns out they sell beer at rugby matches, though not at soccer - kinda encapsulates their fans' behavior, it seems.
Enough about these petty celebrations - DO NOT forget this next week!
Ohio pics
I have a brazillion pictures to go through still, but here's a couple from our Ohio trip. I got some unpositive feedback on the Mac photo gallery I posted last time, so it's back to Picasa for now. Further opinions welcome.
Oh, and it's my birthday today!
Oh, and it's my birthday today!
United specials
From United's email this week - DC-Paris isn't such a bargain (these are one-way fares) but those London ones are nice!
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International E-Fares
Sample each-way fares are for travel beginning Monday (September 17, 2007) through Thursday (September 20, 2007) and returning Monday (September 24, 2007) through Thursday (September 27, 2007). Additional taxes and fees apply.*
From: To: Each-way:
Washington, D.C. (IAD) London (LHR) $177
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International E-Fares Specials
Sample each-way fares are for travel beginning Monday (September 24, 2007) through Thursday (September 27, 2007) and returning Monday (October 1, 2007) through Thursday (October 4, 2007). Additional taxes and fees apply.*
From: To: Each-way:
Washington, D.C. (IAD) London (LHR) $182
Washington, D.C. (IAD) Paris (CDG) $390
-----
International E-Fares
Sample each-way fares are for travel beginning Monday (September 17, 2007) through Thursday (September 20, 2007) and returning Monday (September 24, 2007) through Thursday (September 27, 2007). Additional taxes and fees apply.*
From: To: Each-way:
Washington, D.C. (IAD) London (LHR) $177
-----
International E-Fares Specials
Sample each-way fares are for travel beginning Monday (September 24, 2007) through Thursday (September 27, 2007) and returning Monday (October 1, 2007) through Thursday (October 4, 2007). Additional taxes and fees apply.*
From: To: Each-way:
Washington, D.C. (IAD) London (LHR) $182
Washington, D.C. (IAD) Paris (CDG) $390
04 September 2007
Boys & Betsy, taken by Alan
Betsy's dad Alan took some nice pics when we saw him in D.C. in early August.
La rentrée
Today the boys went back to school, this time together at École Active Bilingue. Calvin has been incredibly geeked up about joining Carter there, though a bit wistful about leaving his all-french preschool (and friends) behind. Since the Collinsons left Saturday he's been babbling seemingly non-stop about school. Saturday afternoon he got to meet some new classmates and say hi to some friends he'll be joining, at a picnic on the Champs de Mars that we and some other parents organized. Sunday and Monday we got the rest of their completely ridiculous school lists together ...
... then today was the big day! Carter was off to school at 9am as usual, now as a big third-grader of course, the oldest kids in their campus. (Next year he's off to the main campus.) It was COMPLETE chaos outside the gates as 90 kids and 150 parents jostled around trying to hear the principal call names. His name was called early in the first class (luck and alphabet, no merit involved), and he was off. He reports to be very pleased with his teacher and the several friends (all boys of course) who are in class with him. Calvin and I had coffee with a couple of moms then headed off to get him a haircut and to clean the apartment. Calvin had to wait until 2pm for his first day to start - they stage the first day with the youngest only going for an hour - and the time finally came. He was called in the first of the two "grande section" classes, and is in with several of his friends as well - Jacob from upstairs, his buddy Logan (who's dad David is a friend of mine), William from his sports class, and Cammy (?) the little sister of one of Carter's friends. His teacher is said to be soft-spoken but to run a calm, disciplined classroom, skills she'll have to use with these chatterboxes for sure!
Our friend Dave Adamski arrived for a few days this afternoon, bearing butterflies and snakeskin for the boys. More about that later, Betsy needs to use the computer for work now!
Bonne rentrée à tous! (Happy re-entry to life for all!)
... then today was the big day! Carter was off to school at 9am as usual, now as a big third-grader of course, the oldest kids in their campus. (Next year he's off to the main campus.) It was COMPLETE chaos outside the gates as 90 kids and 150 parents jostled around trying to hear the principal call names. His name was called early in the first class (luck and alphabet, no merit involved), and he was off. He reports to be very pleased with his teacher and the several friends (all boys of course) who are in class with him. Calvin and I had coffee with a couple of moms then headed off to get him a haircut and to clean the apartment. Calvin had to wait until 2pm for his first day to start - they stage the first day with the youngest only going for an hour - and the time finally came. He was called in the first of the two "grande section" classes, and is in with several of his friends as well - Jacob from upstairs, his buddy Logan (who's dad David is a friend of mine), William from his sports class, and Cammy (?) the little sister of one of Carter's friends. His teacher is said to be soft-spoken but to run a calm, disciplined classroom, skills she'll have to use with these chatterboxes for sure!
Our friend Dave Adamski arrived for a few days this afternoon, bearing butterflies and snakeskin for the boys. More about that later, Betsy needs to use the computer for work now!
Bonne rentrée à tous! (Happy re-entry to life for all!)
On the Tour Eiffel with the Collinsons
Our friends Paul & Nicole, and the boys' counterparts Zephren & CeCe, visited from August 22nd to 26th and 30th thru September 1st. We had a very nice time with them and the boys really enjoyed getting to hang with their old buddies. We went to lots of museums and other sights with them, and here we all our atop the Tour Eiffel.
(Carter took the pic, and apparently I was napping.)
(Carter took the pic, and apparently I was napping.)
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