Good News and Bad News....

Bad news first...my new computer is BROKEN!!! It's going back to Surcoef tomorrow and I'm not sure when I'll have it back again. I'll be taking an unwelcome blogging vacation until it's fixed.

Good news....I finally saw my first mouse in the metro!!! I have been looking for mice in the metro, day and night, for more than 2 years. I was with Leesa and Barbara and I shrieked in delight (which startled both of them) when I saw the cute little brown critter run under the tracks. What a great day!!

Brunch (starring Brigitte) and a Movie

My uber talented friend, Brigitte, was performing again today. This time she was performing at Charlie Birdy's for brunch.
A wonderful jazz brunch à la Brigitte...

Moi, Neil, Leesa and Tom...

I'm sure that I had no idea what our waitress was saying...

Moi, Elizabeth, Neil, and Leesa...

Eggs Benedict (French style)...

Tom's dessert...

My delicious cheesecake dessert!!

After brunch, Leesa and I headed off to Châtelet to see Bride Wars.

Salon International de L'Agriculture

Tom with his John Deere hat on - trying to look like a farmer in Paris... The Agricultural Fair is held every year in Paris (Porte de Versailles). It, of course, includes all the farm animals in France as well as all the products produced in France.

The cutest French piglets ever!!

Sleeping pig...

Lemon tree...

A view of one of the 7 exhibition halls...

Really good sandwiches from Corscia! When we told her that we were from the U.S., she said "O-ba-ma!!" and then "Yes, we can!". Everyone I have ever met in France loves Obama - it's a great thing!

Yummy!

Enjoying a beer from "Les Brasseurs de Lorraine"...

Children folk dancing in the aisles...

Rachlette (?)..that big moon shaped thing is cheese and the thing to the right of it is a heater (?) that melts the cheese....

Lots of meats....

Lots of wines...

Honey...

Lunch and a Movie (again)

Leesa, Barbara, Elizabeth, Andrea and I met for lunch at Mamie Gâteaux today.
I had something that was delicious but I can't really remember what it was called. It had olives and tomatoes in it.

On our walk to see Benjamin Button...

Interesting "art"....


Big news!! I finally learned how to link to other blogs.

Oh, what a night!!

My friend, Brigitte, is an uber talented singer and songwriter. Last night, she performed on the boat, Péniche Six/Huit which is moored next to Notre Dame.

Walking along the Seine River to the boat....

All aboard...

It was an incredible evening listening to live jazz...

Elizabeth and Neil...

Our bartender...

View from the boat of Notre Dame - how cool!!!

FYI:

Brigitte will also be playing at Charlie Birdy's this Sunday, February 22nd

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Just call me Betty...

...Betty Crocker that is! Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't like cooking and that I'm an awful cook. Well, for Tom's brithday, I went all out. I think I cooked more in 2 days than I've cooked in 1 year!

Birthday breakfast..

Birthday dinner...

Fondant chocolat...very festive with the candles and umbrellas until..

they went up in smoke...go figure...paper umbrellas and candles = fire

Day after birthday dinner...

Oatmeal Scotchies again (thanks again Leesa!)....

AND...a birthday card from our wonderful President - what a great birthday!!

Thanks Mom and Dad A for alerting President Obama about Tom's birthday! ;-)

Tom's 45!!!

The birth of a new Austin tradition (sort of). On the actual birthday, we go up to the Trocadero and the birthday person holds up a sign with their age over their head. We should have started this tradition when we first moved here but unfortuntely we just started in 2008 (sort of). We missed Tom's birthday in 2008, but remembered Christopher's. Then, we forgot to do it for my birthday in October but remembered it again today for Tom's.

The start of the Austin tradition, March 2008...