My first time in Paris and here’s the coles notes:

-it’s much like Vancouver, but a little warmer
-there hasn’t been as much dog doo-doo as people warned me
-the french version of subway is everywhere. It isn’t even subway, it’s just seems like every store. And the baguettes have an *appropriate* amount of cured hams, roasted tomatoes, butter, pesto or cream cheese. Nice greens. And about the same price. I have a picture of someone cutting the ham off a leg and putting it in a sandwich for someone, on the spot.
-riding the metro was cool at first. By day 3 the packed RER or Metro, and cattle-like sound of shoes clopping between stations started to take the novelty off
-that said, Paris is another example of a country that has their mass transit right, or close enough. I cannot believe we don’t have this in North America. Maybe another 2-3 hundred years and I start to picture transit going under major streets in Vancouver.
-Cheese! Wine! Bread! Maybe some of you have heard speak of this…..

I’ve adjusted to buying food and am not treating each excusion as a costco run to ensure I have all possible food for the next two weeks. I buy what I need for the day and put it in my tiny fridge.

I’ve also learned that a relatively large man can shower in a 1.5×1.5 ft area. You just need to rotate every so often to adjust the angles of soaping.

I haven’t had chances to really explore as it’s a working trip but even arriving into La Defense was completely surreal. Can’t wait to see the other sites.

Spent the first weekend this year at Marty’s Place in Langley, Whidbey Island (WA, USA). Not too far from Vancouver, ~3 hours without border line ups – not much more than a ferry ride to Vancouver Island. We stayed at a restored heritage farm house. They’d done a great job bringing it back and it felt like we had come home as soon as we arrived. A huge kitchen, large dining room, living room overlooking Saratoga passage, sitting room, media room and upstairs 4 bedrooms and an office sprouting off a long hallway that ended in a windowed sitting area. Clear-stained dark wood over everything. A house big enough to entertain in and for the family to spread out. Oh – 5 acres with a firepit overlooking the ocean!

Langley itself was a nice community. Nice shops, the main food store was well stocked and had a small organic section. Bakery across the street. My wife picked up a handful of wonderful puppets for our upcoming plane ride to Paris.

I decompressed.

Simple, sour, sweet.

2 ounces whiskey – rye, scotch, bourbon. Whatever you’ve got.
1 ounce lemon juice
1 tsp – 1 tbsp sugar depending on taste

I like to put the sugar in first so it might dissolve more, then ice.

1. Eat 3 square meals a day.
2. Exercise before getting to work.
3. Read a book a month.

Moderate, but achievable and balancing.