chim-chiminey

Had a very nice brunch today with my French guy. It was at a little cafe that serves bio-food. (organic). Literally everything they serve is organic. We sat outside on the patio, it was a cool but sunny autumn day. Inside the restaurant are shelves stocked with bio-confiture (organic preserves). Such as apricot jam, pepper, olive pate. yum! We both ordered bio-jambon, on bio-pain, with 3 bio-mutards. There was Dijon mustard, mustard seed mustard (thats not the real name....), and purple mustard. The purple mustard I had never tried before, but it was exceptional. I have to go buy some. We also ordered a flask of wine. It was only 1pm, and I had to work at 3pm. Bad idea. No worries though, the booze wore off before. Although I'm sure when I arrived I smelled like wine. The one time I'm not carrying gum in my purse! C'est domage. Maybe the espresso I had after gave me bad enough coffee breath that it cancelled the wine????

We were cold from sitting in the shade on the patio, so went to warm up at Place de Vosges (one of my fave parks). I unrolled my scarf and we layed down together on that in the sun. But this damn nosy pigeon stared at us the whole time from a distance. He perched his ugly feet on the fence thing, and just sat there for 10 mins glaring. Finally he moved, but then began to circle around us. What nerve he has. Then I went to work.

Je vous present....the "patrol pigeon".

Le cupid (the youngest of the 3 kids I au pair for) was sick today. With I think the same thing I had. He was being so cute! He was kind of groggy from the medication and not feeling well I think. But surprisingly he was in a great mood! So we had a little photo shoot. He was talking to himself and roaming around the house playing, and I followed him around with my camera.

I am finished work for the day, and have wandered up to my room on the 7th floor.... where, let me remind you, I have only a bedroom to myself. No toilet or shower. A bed, desk, TV , laptop & wardrobe, and my clothes etc. I share a toilet with a few other people on my floor. And my shower is on the 4th floor in the families apartment. It is a private shower for my use only. The sink on the 7th floor is too old and dirty looking to use. This building has to be over 200 years old. All the rooms on the 7th floor are just "chambre de bonne" which basically were used as a bedroom for all the housekeepers of the nice apartments below, in the 1800/1900's. I guess things haven't really changed that much....except the fact that I have a TV maybe. Anyway, the point to this explanation is that after work I was feeling the need for a facial, so I immediately coated my face in a mint-julep mask. Looks like toothpaste. After completing this I realize that I have no way of washing this off in the privacy of my room. Uh oh....stranded. Either that or embarrassment. The hall way and stairwell is surprisingly busy on a regular basis. "Merde." Still haven't decided what I will do. But in the meantime....

My face may look like this....

.... but the view outside my bedroom window looks like this.

"Chim chiminey, Chim chiminey, Chim chim cher-ee"

I don't mind staying here a while with my mask on, listening to Indian music. It is the perfect autumn night, warm enough to have my window open to enjoy the view and let in fresh French air, and cool enough to have no insects! Bon nuit.