an american in paris...

...not me...a keyboard...yes...worth it to pay more for cyber access to have familiar keyboard...am re-learning where the "a" and the "m" are located

same disclaimer applies...while a number of my former teachers are reading this, hopefully no one is grading...user errors on these blogs will be typos!!!

love paris love paris...weather is beautiful...not like what friend in nc are likely to receive with hurricane earl...

go-gous weather...go gous as haitie bowers would say...why i ever moved from that wonderful garage apartment with incredibly low rent and wonderful benefits i will never know...2 stories on haitie...she was in her 90s when i moved in...if i remember correctly, 95. previous tenant had been messing around...haitie didnt tell me, but i knew from other sources...she kept dropping these odd lines...finally i looked at her and said miss haitie, you've known me all my life, i dont mess around with folks i aint suppossed to and i dont do drugs but i do drink a little liquor every now and again...she said, rann, as long as you share, we will never have a problem. whenever i had guests including haitie, there was always a little bourbon and water in her hand

while i lived there, we had a hurricane, cant recall which one...but no electricity and the yard was covered in limbs, leaves and debris...although i knew johnny talley would be there within a couple of days, i began clearing the driveway...pretty large if you recall...so that i could get the aurora out and she could maneuver her cadillac

haitie came out to check on me...then...she went in the "laundry room" and made a number of trips out to the concrete bench in front of the picture window there...i watched her...she had a gallon can...like tomatoes come in, 2 aluminum pie pans...tin foil pans stephie harty...a hammer, nail, matches...and a candle...along with a plate with several blueberry/bran muffins (her specialty...she made them by the tons...each muffin had exactly 4 blueberries in it placed just so in the center) which had been split and buttered...i said haitie, what in the hell are you doing..she said, since you're cleaning the driveway, i am making you breakfast...she proceeded to punch some holes in the can around the top with the hammer and nail....some in the bottom of one of the tin foil pans....lit the candle, let some wax drip into the can, set candle in wax, tin foil pan with holes next, filled with muffins, another pan on top...15 minutes later...hot muffins for breakfast...she was something else

when i came to paris for the first time, i was 13....lots of people from africa were on the plaza beneath the eiffel tower selling those flapping birds...you toss them in the air, they fly back to you...provoking the heck out of emmy lou coleman and me...wanna buy a bird, wanna buy a bird, wanna buy a bird

linda (then bunch) harris told me that the next time i was "attacked" by the birdmen, i should say, F you monsieur...so, of course i did...say...F you monsieur...he responded back, F you too, little shit

didnt see any bird hawkers...mainly models of the tower...and much more diversified group of sales people from around the world...but did see in a window, one of those birds....took picture for emmy lou

the rodin museum was worthwhile...the kiss is my favorite of his works...i must say, that our collection in raleigh....comes pretty darn close...and actually, may be presented more thoughtfully...if you havent been to the new and improved museum of art...you must go...

returned to the louvre...had missed michaelangelos dying slave...glad i did...think that his slaves presented at the accademia in florence top this one...and...as i recall... were unfinished...he believed that God had the sculpture within the marble...his job was to release it...the slaves...mid-release in florence were stunning

also toured napoleons apartments...and the "left side" of the museum...great afternoon...all the famous/sexy works are on the right side...venus de milo, the mona lisa, winged victory, dying slave...so there were no crowds on the left...great day

twin spotted, lysle misenheimer. lysle and wife gale adopted me while at pfeiffer...still provide advice, gale was teaching me, via phone, how to can tomatoes this summer...washed a lot of clothes at their place while at pfeiffer...once on the first saturday in december...sleet coming down like crazy...daughter susan was putting up the christmas tree...i was home sick, homesick. susan made me a fried bologna sandwich....dont see susan often, but i always thank her for that sandwich....it was mighty fine

another time there, mickie nolan, now rose, and i were there and i was sick with a sore throat...we did our laundry, gale had fed us and i was coughing like crazy...lysle said, rann, i got something for that coughin you're a doin...and he poured me about 2 fingers of peach...although it may have been apple...brandy...said now drink this. of course, i did, i always do what people i respect ask,hahaha...lysle said, now what do you think...i said, i think i need another dose.

cough gone, i was cured