There are over 15 ice cubes in this! AND this is probably ~32 oz off water! :) lol.
TOMATOES COMING IN!
Speaking of which the boys were telling me about how when they come to America people look at them like they're crazy when they don't want ice. lol. ALSO, Jan was telling me how when he comes to Cedar and it's snowing and ice is everywhere and he's freezing to death and they set a glass of ice water down in front of him. lol. I couldn't quit laughing. I never even thought about it being -30 degrees and not drinking water w/ ice in it. lol. ha
Well, I took off Sunday AM from Paris and everything went smoothly. I flew from Amsterdam to Chicago in one of the largest planes I've ever seen in my life. I wish I would have had a sec to take a pic. It was unbelievable. I was a little concerned when I first got on about it making it over the ocean. I can't understand how they get the regular size ones over the ocean let alone one w/ four engines I could stand upright in. !?!? This is truly and amazing world we live in.
This was a pic I found on the internet of it: Doesn't even begin to capture the enormity of this aircraft.
Nancy found a new perfume in Paris and gave me a sample of it that I have on now, it's reminding me of Paris. I think that smell will forever be Paris to me.
I saw so many beautiful sites in Paris and Amsterdam. They're beautiful countries w/ lovely people. But getting off the plane and seeing my husband was the sweetest thing I'd seen in days. It made me teary too. I was happy to be home.
I feel so blessed sitting here typing this. Thankful for friends that wanted me to see the world and places they loved. Opened their homes, gave of their time to help me along that journey and then to come home to friends and family here. It's nice to live in a world where no matter where you live, caring and kindness for people really looks the same everywhere.
It was funny when I was in France and Amsterdam. It was hard not to make comparisons, but mostly it was hard not to find similarities. For example, when people are arguing, you don't really have to know what they're saying to know that they're unhappy. That boys fist bump each other when they see each other. That when people get to speed traps they slow down and when they're thru them they speed back up to where they were before. :) People pick their nose when they drive. People are addicted to their cell phones and crackberries and they live with them everywhere and turn them on and start talking on them as soon as they can on a plane. What can you say, some things are just human nature.
I will say Parisians make American's look a little manic. They live in a sort of organized chaos. American's like they're structure compared to Parisians. The relationship of the cars, motorcycles and pedestrians are a prime example of this to me. No one follows the rules to closely (even tho if they're pulled over their driving punishment would probably be stronger than in the U.S.). Also, the airport was like that. They'd ask all the business class/elite fliers to come first and then everyone and their brother would walk up and board. It was hilarious. Also, American's hate budgers and you have to get over that too, the rest of the world doesn't seem to care.
Adults would walk down the street and their kids/dogs would be way behind of or in front of them. I'd watch and they'd never check on them. They all just walked along together. I watched a dog I thought was alone and then saw him run around the corner to his boss who was 1/2 up the next street. He ran our ahead of him then. It was just seemed... easy. :)
Also, I'm sure they exercise, but I also found that interesting. When we were in New York there were runners, when I get off work the streets are filled w/ runners. In Paris if people were running they were American or unhinged ;) J/K, but they were not the norm. I probably saw 6 people non-American total running and then I saw 3 Americans running, so either way, the numbers not to high. I could be wrong, but it felt like Parisians lived a little more balanced. Health was part of AM - PM, not 45-60 min 5 days of the week. I might have that wrong, but that's how I saw it.
Most were in great shaped and were well dressed. But that's always a little harder to assess in the city. American cities tend to be that way as well. Although I will say, the European city boys know how to dress. They're not afraid of color and it's very well put together. Back to the shape people are in, I think living in a city lends to more walking (both because it's more accessible to people, but also because everything is so costly). Additionally, I think the smoking could also contribute to the lower weight as well. Which reminds me, I need to change my nicotine patch. I think all the 2nd hand smoke I inhaled made me addicted to cigarettes. ;) I'm pretty sure I saw a pigeon and a Jack Russell terrier smoking at one point. ;) lol.
Final thoughts, no one was rude. Didn't meet one person who was unkind. I'm sure there are some, but I didn't meet any. I didn't eat anything I couldn't live without or wasn't as good as I'd had in Cedar Rapids (I'm sure that sentence is killing some of you who might be reading this :). The women were skinnier then skinny. I was worried some of them didn't have enough Euros to buy a bite to eat. ;) But in all honesty, the majority is skinny.
So, at the end of the day, the story is basically this. I was born here and love it, but if I was born there, I'd love there. It's a beautiful world God's given us. I'm happy I was able to see a little more of its beauty and its people.
Au revoir.
A few additional pics from phone camera of Versailles:
Going to be adding additional video here in the next few if you're interested in checking any of that out.
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