Paris on My Mind

Just a drive-by, because I feel like I've been pulled in several directions, and have lost my habits of checking in and commenting on other blogs.

So here's what I've been up to...work, for starters.  First, Miss Chef is teaching 5 days a week and working three nights a week at the restaurant.  Then there was Restaurant Week at the end of January, when she was working...I dunno, more nights at the restaurant.  As I result, I was pulling more KP and laundry duty (not to mention a night at the restaurant, too!)  At my job, we've hit our busy season (I process car loans, and now is when people start using their tax refunds as down payments), and we're in the process of training a new, er, processor, which means the rest of us get a heavier load.  So, back to our 50-hour weeks.  I don't mind the extra hours right now, partly because I'm not teaching this quarter, but mostly because each and every hour of overtime means more money for our big trip this summer!

Speaking of which, I'm getting obsessively excited about it, because (dramatic pause...) I've just put a deposit down to confirm our reservation for a small apartment in Paris!  It's tiny (of course), but newly remodeled and has a very generous kitchen for Paris.  My SiL and kids will be coming with us for the week, and I just happened to find a great apartment for them in the same building.  Don't know if that will pan out, but how perfectly is this working out for us?

Internet, I love you!

I just spent almost an hour on Google's street view, checking out the neighborhood where we're staying.  We've already spotted a bakery/pastry shop that was recommended online, and it's right outside the metro stop.  Along the main street we saw two specialty shops to buy foie gras, an artisanal butcher, a national-chain wine shop I used to patronize when I lived in France, and a branch of a French bank I've just learned has agreements with my American bank, so I don't have to pay ATM fees!  *Phew*  And that's just in one direction!

Of course, being obsessed with apartment hunting and trip details while putting in 9 and 10-hour days at work has made it hard for me to focus on much else.  I did, however, manage to get Miss Chef a great Valentine's day gift:

Only a northerner living in the south can appreciate the importance of locating a stash of Vernor's ginger ale.  Suffice it to say Miss Chef's reaction was just what I'd hoped for.  We don't usually do much for Valentine's day, because we both work at the restaurant.  I just did Saturday night, because I knew I couldn't work overtime and stand at the door of the restaurant at the same time (and the OT pays better--sorry Chef).  Miss Chef will be working Monday from 6:30 am (teaching) until probably 11 pm (cooking).  I will be home Monday night, ironing her pants for Tuesday.  Ah, the glamorous life of the chef's wife!

So, anyway, maybe in the coming weeks I'll calm down enough to stop surfing the web for Paris restaurants, and find some time for my other usual pursuits.  But if I don't seem to be reading your blog as often, I do apologize; I'm still stopping by now and then, even if I don't comment.  Because, you know, I've got important things like croissants au beurre on my mind. 

Hmm...maybe I should be out walking the dog an extra mile instead of reading blogs.  I'm gonna need to trim down to handle all the eating we're planning.

Addendum: To answer the question asked by a couple of people after my previous post about our trip--Rosie will be staying with the friend who adopted Smoky, who loves Rosie and has Rosie-sat several times.  She lives in a guest house way out in the country, and Rosie loves staying there.  So everyone will have a fun time this summer!  Even Smoky!