Author: Bob

While living in North, Central and South America, in the middle of the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, and now in Europe, my passion has remained the same: travel and meeting new friends.
Life in France

No holds barred, we’re goin’ to Florida

Desserts
How do you choose?

Whenever Bill and I are in Florida we’re both reminded of the Broadway musical Pump Boys and Dinettes. You’ll probably see references to the songs in the next couple of posts including the title of this one, so feel free to sing along.

Yesterday was our first day of vacation in the Sunshine State but it wasn’t living up to its name. It wasn’t just raining; it was pouring all day long. Because we weren’t able to leave Atlanta until 6:30 PM the night before we didn’t get to Cheryl and Pete’s house until well past midnight which gave us a great excuse to sleep in as if the storms weren’t enough. Then we were faced with the dilemma of what to do on such a foul weather day. And if the weather is hell we’ll hang around the motel makin’ love and watchin’ color TV. Since one of the many things we look forward to in France is a daily visit to the boulangerie, it was easy enough to figure out that we’d be going to a bakery.

And if the weather is hell we’ll hang around the motel makin’ love and watchin’ color TV. Continue reading “No holds barred, we’re goin’ to Florida”

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Before leaving the US

Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em

China cabinet
China and crystal behind lock and key

My father was in the Navy during World War II and one of the expressions he came home with was “Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em; bum ‘em if you don’t”. He would hear those instructions whenever it was time for a break and it was safe to light up without alerting the enemy to their position. In those good ‘ole days sailors were issued a daily ration of cigarettes. My interpretation of that phrase today might be closer to “use it or lose it”, “tomorrow’s not guaranteed” or the more pleasant “eat dessert first”. Continue reading “Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em”

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Before leaving the US

Spin us a yarn

Yarn bags
Yarn for miles

Although this photo might look as if the trash collectors have gone on strike or perhaps that there’s a waiting list to get into the morgue, it’s really much more tame. It’s yarn, 24 bags of yarn, almost 1000 pounds. Yes, we finally cleared out Bill’s design studio in the bonus room over the garage and this is what’s left. Last week he sold off the last of the knitting machines and those lucky buyers get to return this weekend to collect these rolls of soon-to-be fabric. Not to worry, there’s plenty going to France but that’s already been boxed up, and there’s the rub. Continue reading “Spin us a yarn”

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Before leaving the US

Holiday home for home

Packing crate
Bill put the puzzle pieces together.

For many years we have rented a variety of accommodations for vacations through one of the online booking services for homeowners who rent out their places. It’s given us the chance to spend time in a riverside cabin, a lakeside bungalow, an oceanfront condo, an Irish castle, and a couple of French chateaux. For the last few days we’ve been in Atlanta at a house with a theater, a British pub, a gym, a steam shower, and lots of other amenities that really made it feel like home. Oh yeah, it IS our home…or rather it WAS. Continue reading “Holiday home for home”

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Before leaving the US

Let them eat meat

Empty freezer
This freezer used to be full.

Marie Antoinette is credited, perhaps erroneously, with suggesting that if the starving peasants had no bread they should eat cake instead. Since we’re trying to use up all of the remaining food in our house these days there’s neither bread nor cake left but there’s still plenty of meat. You can have steaks of many varieties and thicknesses, chops, a roast, ham slices, salmon fillets, chicken breasts, and even an 18-pound turkey. No carbs, just all protein ready for a quick weight loss diet. Bring on the bacon! Continue reading “Let them eat meat”

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Before leaving the US

Go!

Visa application
Visa application

Coming up with the name for today’s post was rather fun for a couple of reasons. The first was the choice of titles since it has to do with getting a visa. Since the French consulate in Miami accepts credit cards to pay the 99 euro fee, it could have been “Visa for Visa”. A takeoff on the expression “easy-peasy” since this whole process went very smoothly once we got to the consulate brought to mind “Visa(y)-peasy”. And of course the original French vis-à-vis that we’ve adopted into English meaning, among many things, “face to face”, would have certainly worked since we had to apply in person at their office that looks out onto Biscayne Bay. Instead I chose this one word that at first glance might not seem to have anything to do with today’s topic, but that’s the other reason why naming it was fun. Continue reading “Go!”

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Before leaving the US

And then there was one

One key
Only one key remaining

When Bill and I were working we both had a pocketful of keys: the house doors, the cars, the Club security bars for the cars, our work building doors, various office keys, locker keys, etc. Bill had to repair more than one pair of pants that didn’t hold up to all the extra weight. Last night we sold our one remaining car and now we each have just one single house key on our ring. It’s really a burden lifted, figuratively and literally. Continue reading “And then there was one”

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