The Smell of France

Since it's been chilly here, we have unpacked some of our sweaters from the vacuum save bags.  The really neat thing about these clothes is they smell like France.  Or at least they smell like my laundry detergent and fabric softner.  It took me two months to find a nice smelling detergent.  I loved running the dryer because the whole bathroom would smell like "Ruby Jasmine" and fabric softner.  I am sure that our clothes probably shouldn't smell so much like the detergent.  It is probably a testament to the fact that we never quite knew if we were doing the laundry the right way.  The instruction were in French and they were cryptic.  We turned the knob to 5 and prayed that it worked.  The soap probably didn't get rinses completely out.  Regardless, I am glad I can put on a sweater and remember Thoiry.  Some days I actually miss it, and I will certainly miss my smell of France.

Dear Diary...

I realize that this blog has turned into infrequent diary-like entries.  I lament my situation and rather than discuss my new crush I end rather abruptly.  I am aware that the tone of this blog sucks.
So what's new?  I have started an "internship" with the Preservation Planner for the City of Gainesville.  I hope to get real world experience that I can add to my resume.  In the meantime, I continue to apply for jobs.  Last week I had an interview with LifeSouth, a community blood bank.  As of today I still haven't heard back from them--that's not usually a good sign.  I did get an e-mail from the City of Alexandria, VA regarding a preservation planner position I applied for.  My application has moved to the next step and they will consider whether or not I get an interview.  This week I've applied for three jobs so far.
Yes, I get down.  I've worked hard, I've made sacrifices, and I just wish I could catch a break.  The one call I got to substitute was the same day that I had a phone interview.  School would not have gotten out in time for the interview, so I had to say no.  That was a bummer.
If anyone is still reading, I'm keeping my chin up.  Sorry I'm a bummer.  I wish I had awesome pictures or anecdotes about my kids or travels.  Living in Europe certainly provided great stories--Gainesville doesn't seem to have the same quality.

What was Lost is Found

And no, I'm not talking about my pride!  I found my Nantucket island magnet that doubles as a bottle opener!!!  Yesterday as I put away Ronny's Hawaii coffee mug I thought, "I used to have a Maui magnet, where is that thing?"  Then I remembered my flawless logic when I was packing.  Ronny went to Maui when he was in undergrad and I went to Nantucket in graduate school therefore the afore mentioned magnets must be in my "College box o' memories".  It's a small victory, but it's all mine.

In other news, I am going to another temp agency at 1:30 today to try to get a job.  I really am trying and anyone who thinks otherwise can bite me!

Waiting for a Call at 6 AM and other Musings

Who gets bummed out when they don't receive a phone call between the hours of 6 and 10 am?  This girl!  I actually woke up at 6 on the dot in anticipation of the phone call begging me to substitute.  That call never came. I was so sure that someone would call in sick and I would be there to save the day.  That's what my life has come to.
I continue to apply to at least one job a day.  I've applied for everything from an administrative assistant to an historian for the immigration department.  I've had my resume edited twice!  I've gone to a career fair!  What is wrong with me?  I am a hard worker.  I was a great student.  I have a Masters degree.  I'm friendly, punctual, and organized.  I want to be a contributing member of society.  I want to make a difference.  Somebody, give me the chance to succeed!!!
Thank you.

Substitute Teacher Training

Today I attended orientation for the Alachua county school system and substitute teacher training.  This is not what I thought I would be doing.  Not that long ago I was the student that sat next to the students that tormented or just plain ignored the substitute.  This was a last resort option.  This was not supposed to be the only thing I could get a call back from.  AND it's not even a sure thing.  There are 1,500 subs out there on this magical list.  In order to really get called I have to sell myself to schools.  So even though you are technically hired, you still have to continue to job hunt for sub positions!  Today I am a little terrified and slightly disheartened.  What if the students today can smell fear?  Will my "no nonsense" demeanor be enough to control a room full of vultures?  Will I even be able to answer the phone and speak at 6 am?  Tomorrow I will attack this head on and I'll start by figuring out where all these schools are located relative to me.  Really, is this real life?

When Ronny's Away...

Ronny went to CERN for two weeks and I went to my Mom's house. I had an awesome time hanging out with my family. I got to soak up time with Lily, spend time with Richie and Leigh, and talk with my Mom and Bill on the porch. I even got to have a sleep over with Lily! Mom, Leigh, and I went to Hobby Lobby--what an overwhelming place. It literally has everything you could think of. Everything. It ended on a sour note when an old lady accused me of cutting in line--I don't think so lady! While I was home I applied for four jobs, and just this morning I applied for two more. Progress.  Enjoy the pumpkin picking pictures!!!

Back to Thoiry

On Monday Ronny is heading back to CERN for two weeks. I would be lying if I said the heightened alert for Europe wasn't something I am worried about. It is what it is. He'll be doing a lot of physics. A number of UF players are there and they need to start working on their portion of a big publication. It also gives the impression that Ronny is involved and invested.

While he's gone, I am going to Ormond to stay with my parents. It's not good for my mental health to stay in Gainesville by myself. If I get a job I will come right back, but you can't live on possibility alone. I'm going to soak up some Lily time and help my mom come up with a plan for a cake business. She's a really great decorator.

Third Times the Charm

This is the third time I have attempted to write a post. I start and then it gets whiny and I get irritated with myself. Enough is enough. And yet, this may end up as a venting.

I am so sick of remembering something that I used to have (for example a magnet of Nantucket island that doubled as a bottle opener) and not being able to find it. I have no idea where we packed some of our stuff. Despite being in our apartment since August, we have not successfully unpacked all of the stupid tote boxes because we don't have a place for the knick-knacky stuff to go. I am sick of it! I want to know where that magnet is and I want to know where the ice pack that went with my Tupperware travel bag disappeared to.

I am also sick of not having a job. I have applied for A LOT of jobs. I am so good at receiving the rejection e-mails it's not even funny. Last week I applied at a temp agency and have an interview with them on Tuesday. Now I wait?!

On a positive note, we got a dresser. It's pretty awesome to have the clothes put away. We also have a kick ass rug that really ties the room together. It's like "Where have you been all my life rug?" I have an unhealthy attachment to it. Ah well.

The Beat Goes On

Yesterday I applied for a job as an Architectural Historian. I wrote a nice cover letter and posted my improved resume. At 8 pm I was informed that I did not get said job. Talk about a quick turn around! At least I wasn't left waiting, but perhaps one full day of optimism would have been nice.

This weekend is the Kentucky game. It will be the first football game I've attended in well over a year. I'm looking forward to it. We might be tailgating, so if you are in the Gainesville area let me know. I am really looking forward to seeing one of my oldest friends, Jessica Lee. I really miss my friends. Although exciting, the year in Europe did nothing for my social life.

In other news, we finally ordered a dresser. I'm pretty stoked that my clothes will soon be in drawers.

I'm going to take some pictures at the game because this blog needs some excitement.

The Hunt Continues

I am still looking for a job. It is a discouraging process. You do all kinds of work to improve your resume and then when you apply for a job they have their own database to plug all that pretty resume information into. Tomorrow I am going to stand in line like cattle at the Career Showcase at UF. We'll see what comes of it.

In other news, we are slowly getting our apartment in order. We now have a side table in the living room and a desk in the second bedroom. No futon yet, but we're dreaming about prospects.

Went to Daytona this weekend to meet up with my British cousin, Claire. Successful lunch, check!

As you can gather, life is slow going. I've become a muffin baker--I'm good. Maybe that's my future--cupcakes and muffins are big right now. Hmmm.

We're Back and I'm Blogging!

I'm not sure if I still have a following, but I've decided I will continue the blogging adventure. I'll write about what is going on, what being a late 20-something is like, the trials of job hunting, and the continuation of our graduate student lifestyle.

At the beginning of August we moved back to Gainesville. I'm not quite sure what we were expecting--it's surreal. Ronny is back to work (not like he ever stopped), but most of the people we hung out with are gone. We basically have to start from scratch (with the exception of Evan) making friends. That's a blast! I wish there was a match.com for existing couples. I mean how are we supposed to make friends? We don't have kids or pets, so we don't fit into those groups. We don't even have enough furniture to entertain at our apartment. Selling our things before moving to Europe really seems like a terrible idea as I put my wine glass on a plastic tote box. Ha!

On another note, I'm applying for almost every job that kinda looks like I would like it, benefit from it, and get benefits. It's a super fun process as many of you know.

I think this new blog will be fun! Will the pictures be as awesome, no probably not. The content will however be right on--I'll try to entertain. Thanks for sticking with me (man I hope someone reads this or that last thought is just sad).

Last Farmer's Market

Went to the farmer's market for the last time today. Bought some cherries, potatoes, and bread. (I'm making lamb tonight and twice baked potatoes.) Took some pictures of the market and town for your viewing pleasure!
In front of city hall.

Ronny and the market.

Roasting chickens.

Town center

Memorial to fallen WWI soldiers from Thoiry.

Video of Apartment

I know you have been wondering what our apartment looks like. It's probably consumed a good amount of your thoughts. Thankfully, my schedule allows me to accommodate your random thoughts. Here it is, in all it's bareness. We had more furniture at one point, but we sold it.

Back to Gruyère

Took Ronny to Gruyère--had to get some fondue. Joe's friend Mike was also in town, so we took a nice scenic drive to the cheese castle. There is also a museum by the guy who created the Alien movies. The whole museum is about aliens, and right across the street is a bar with an interesting interior. Enjoy the pictures!

Dear Physics,

I will be the first to admit our relationship is not good. I think you are selfish and interfere with my life at the wrong times. You consume my husband, you are the talk at dinner parties, and because of you I lived here. This year has been one of my most challenging. On one hand, I have been able to travel around Europe see Paris, Florence, Venice, Lyon, Bern, Lausanne, etc. I probably wouldn't have been able to do that without you. On the other hand, I gave up my right to have a real job. I became a nanny and then a chauffeur. Think of the traveling we could have done if we didn't have to live on a graduate student salary, or as Ronny says peasant wages. I've been bored out of my mind and lonely--most of the time I blame you. However, because of this situation I've realized I'm tough, at least tougher than people think I am. I've handled every situation thrown at me. Sometimes those situations beat me, sometimes I beat them--every time I learned something. Don't think that because I am giving you some credit that we are some how okay or could one day be friends. That's not going to happen. I'm just acknowledging that your not all bad.
Sincerely,
Jeannette

For Richie, my Most Loyal Follower

As many of you will remember, my brother Richie challenged me to purchase and cook a chicken with the feet still on. On May 1st (May Day here in France-think Labor Day) I attempted for the second time to complete this task. Some may ask why. Good question. It's no secret I am afraid of birds, but did you know most of that fear comes from the way birds look? The feet terrify me. I started panicking the night before I went to the butcher because of the way those things look. Oh, I shudder at the thought. I digress. I did this for my brother. Richie has been my most loyal follower. I can always count on him to read my blogs, comment, and even ask questions. When Ronny was on shift at CMS with a camera in his face, Richie saved the pictures that changed every ten minutes or so. He, Leigh, and Lily are also the first people I talk to on Saturdays--I can always count on them.
On to the story. I went to the butcher in Thoiry. Miraculously, the butcher spoke some English. I asked him for a chicken with feet but without the head. He said no problem, he could cut the head off for me. As he was weighing the bird, I had a look at the head. Bad decision. The butcher saw me freaking out, so I told him I had never cooked a chicken with feet before and the head was gross. He thought this was hysterical. He picks up the head and starts swinging it at me pretending it's talking. Think the Muppet chef. Great, a French butcher is having a real laugh at my expense. Super. As he's weighing it, I check out the price--29 euros!!! Whoa, dude, whoa. That's almost $40 for a chicken. Right before he severed the head I told him, "No I'm sorry this is too expensive. My husband will kill me if I buy this chicken." I had to repeat it because he didn't speak great English and I guess I was talking fast. (I think it's funny that when they talk to me in French it's a mile a minute, but if I talk in English I have to talk very slowly... hypocrites.) He seemed to think that was funny too...whatever.
So, I tried. I failed. I was made fun of in French. Richie got a good laugh out of it, so it was worth it.

Doug and Wendy Come to Visit

Okay, so Doug and Wendy came at the beginning of April and I'm only posting now. I can't tell you how awesome it was to have some family over here to hang out with me. I really had just a wonderful time, and I hope they did as well. We did Geneva, CERN, Bern, and Gruyère. Doug and Wendy also went to Lyon and Paris on their own. For Easter we went to a Scottish Presbyterian church in Old Town. It used to be where John Calvin gave lectures. Easter dinner was two legs of lamb, escallop potatoes, green beans, and two amazing cakes that Joe's parents picked up. Thank you Doug and Wendy for spending time with me! Here are some pictures of the week in no particular order.

Florence!!

We love Florence!! It is such an amazing place. We rented a studio apartment very close to the train station and the Duomo. The only down side was that every morning at 7:30 the street vendors would come right down the street carrying their rickety carts--it was so loud! These street vendors created a gauntlet that you had to walk down to get to the heart of the city. Thankfully they weren't as in your face as vendors in Paris.
The first night we just walked around, had dinner, and got gelato. Ah the infamous galato adventure. Okay, so I love ice cream--love it. Therefore when the gelato lady asked me what size I wanted I pointed to a cone that looked like a medium. She says "Oh you want a large. How many flavors do you want?" This should have been a sign, but it wasn't. I only wanted nutella because I don't mix flavors or anything for that matter. She then starts to shovel ice cream into this cone. It was huge. The picture I posted really shows my excitement. She then asked Ronny what he wanted. There was no way I would be eating that monster on my own, and he said so. It was a 12 euro ice cream--whoops. I felt bad, but it was amazing!
The next day we went to the Uffizi, a museum encompassing the artistic developments of the Renaissance. We got to see the famous "Birth of Venus". The museum was neat, but we realized that we aren't really art people. Ah well, we can check it off the list. We also went to the Science Museum and saw Galileo's middle finger. Yeah, it was riveting. We also walked around the Santa Maria Croce, the burial place of Michelangelo. They have a really neat leather workshop there too. Handmade leather goods that are just amazing. I touched a 100 euro wallet--it was just on display for anyone to touch! We walked so much the first day. We climbed the steep steps to the Piazza Michelangelo for the most amazing view of the city. For dinner we went to the most amazing family run restaurant. Both of our dishes had shaved truffles on them!!
The next day we went to the Duomo built at the end of the 13th century. It was amazing! We also climbed the 463 steps up to the top of the dome. That was an adventure! Then we just took it all in. We didn't fo to see the original David because we could see the replica for free in it's original spot. You see one naked statue you've seen them all. Those poor models immortalized in stone and marble were not given any favors if you catch my drift!
Florence has so much to offer. It's a lot of walking though. I think after these "vacations" we were in a desperate need of a vacation.

Pictures from Florence

Venice!

I love Venice! It's exactly the way you would picture it. Everything is old, the streets are a winding maze, and the gondola drivers are in your face. We stayed in a nice hotel on the mainland because it is leaps and bounds less expensive than staying on the sinking island. Luckily, it was only a ten minute bus ride to Venice proper. We took a water boat and walked. I much preferred walking--you just get absorbed into the city that way. Our first night we ate at the Florida Restaurant. Venice is really very very touristy, so there are plenty of shops to look in. Another great thing about Venice is it is the birthplace of my favorite drink--the Bellini.
The next day we wandered around the city before our train left and picked up some Murano glass, a well known product in the area. We also saw the most amazing fresh seafood market. They were cutting swordfish steaks right off the fish carcass! I have never seen anything like it. They had it all, and then the fed the remains to the seagulls--we'll take points off for that. For lunch we went to a restaurant on the river. The waiters all stand outside the restaurant and try to steer people to a table. One group of old people really made them mad because they were only ordering drinks. You don't do that in Italy. If you only want drinks, you go to the bar and stand, you do not take a table. It's considered very rude. It was funny to watch though! Around 3pm we grabbed our stuff and headed to the train station for our trip to Florence. It was a really crappy train. Very old, think Harry Potter with the cabins and then think very old and dingy. Ah well, Florence more than made up for it!

Pictures from Venice

Trying to Leave London

What a debacle! Ronny and I took Easyjet to London. It is the only way to get from Geneva to Gatwick airport without spending a ton of money. Easyjet is a piece-meal company. So you pay for your ticket, and then your bags, and if you want something to drink you pay for that on the plane. We got to Gatwick three hours before our flight. Outside of the terminal, there was a huge queue (British for line) for Easyjet passengers. We waited in this line for about an hour and were finally able to check in. When we got to the waiting area for flights we noticed that our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:30 p.m., but the gate wouldn't be opened until 6:50 and then 7:15 and then 7:30ish. Okay, it's delayed. No worries. Around 8:00 we finally got on the plane. We were all on board. The captain came on and said "Well folks, we're ready to take off, but Easyjet just canceled your flight. We need to ask you to vacate the plane." WTF??!! Allegedly, there was a problem with the ticketing system for the company. Why it impacted people with tickets on a plane I'll never know. We all hustle off the plane and bee-line to the information desk. It's chaos. There is no one really directing people, and Ronny and I just haphazardly started following a group of people that were on our flight. All I was thinking was I need to get to the check in desk. Thankfully, Ronny had his wits about him and after we left customs (again) he had the fortitude to grab our baggage that came off the plane. A lot of people didn't know to do that, myself included. If he hadn't grabbed that bag, we would have been royally screwed. When we got back to the ticketing counter there was not one Easyjet representative in sight. They had packed up and said "Oh Shit!" At this point I'm panicking. I had to pick up my Uncle Doug and Aunt Wendy the next day. We walked across the parking lot and got a room at the airport hotel. I cried. I'm cool with traveling until something goes wrong. I was also really upset that I had family coming to visit me and I wasn't going to be there to pick them up. Thankfully, our roommate picked them up for us with a sign and everything. To top it off, Ronny was supposed to be on shift for work the next day. Joe took his shift too. That night we purchased two more tickets with British Airways (who were on strike) out of Heathrow. There were no flights with Easyjet until Wednesday (it was Monday). If we were on the continent of Europe we could have rented a car or taken a train; in London we were stranded without a plane. We had to take a bus to Heathrow, but we managed to make it back. Our friend Chris picked us up from the airport and we met Doug and Wendy at our house.
Lessons learned: DO NOT fly Easyjet; ALWAYS have a day buffer when you travel; be THANKFUL for great friends.

London

My long overdue narrative of London. We had such a great time while we were in the city. There will be another post about leaving the city. Margaret and Gordon, my London relatives (my Grandma's cousin's daughter...I think), picked us at up the airport. They remember me as an eight year old and I remember them as forty years olds. Needless to say, I didn't quite know who I was looking for. They are simply wonderful people! We were welcomed warmly and treated like it had only been a few years, instead of nineteen, since we had seen one another.
From the airport we were off to Hampton Court Palace, home of Henry VIII. What an amazing place! Real Tudor architecture right on the Thames River.
The next morning we went to London. We started at Big Ben, House of Parliament, and moved quickly to Westminster Abbey. Margaret and Gordon accompanied us on this adventure which was very fortunate because there were major changes to the metro lines. Without their help we would have been lost. Gordon is from Scotland, and basically everything he says is awesome because of that fact alone. Anyways, from Westminster Abbey, home of a lot of dead kings, we moved to Buckingham Palace. The Queen, anticipating our arrival, was in residence. Next we hit the National Gallery. By this point every part of me hurt from walking, so we zoomed through the Gallery. For some stupid reason I wanted to go to the Tate Modern Museum, a modern art museum. It was dumb, but I got to see St. Paul's Cathedral (site for Charles and Diana's wedding).
Sunday, Claire, Margaret and Gordon's daughter, met up with us for a tour of the Tower of London. We got to see the crown jewels, coats of armor, and the Beefeaters. For dinner we went traditional English and headed to a carve-ery. Basically, it's a buffet with three different meat options and unlimited sides. By the way, the staple vegetable of England is peas...gross. The meat was great and I got to have a Yorkshire pudding...amazing.
We packed the days full and had a great time. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Pictures from London

Narrative coming soon!

What is this?

Do you know what this is? Guess!
I will tell you that it made my day yesterday and it cost me 2CHF. I purchased it at a British pub and ate it while drinking an Irish cider. The two don't really go together, but that's not the point.

The Botanical Garden

Yesterday Ronny I went to the Botanical Garden in Geneva. It was a nice sunny day, and I'm sure when things start growing back the garden will be very pretty. We sat in the sun, strolled around, and went into what I will call "Bill's backyard" pavilion. We felt like were were at home. We took pictures under a palm tree, pictures of palm trees, and a bird of paradise. Most of the plants that were in this place can be found in my parent's backyard. It was like being home!

The View

The Jura. This is the view not really from our house, but directly behind our house. We have to go across the street to see it.

This is Switzerland. These are the Alps and Mont Blanc in the right hand corner. It's the white mountain.
I love the views. I will miss them the most.

Beaten by a Chicken

As some of you may know, my brother Richie has sent me on a mission to procure a chicken with feet. Now, you may be asking "Jeannette, don't all chicken have feet at some point?" Good question. Yes they do. However, in America we chop those bad boys off before they make it to your neighborhood grocer. Not necessarily the case here. In many places, the butcher and the farmer's market for sure, you can buy a chicken avec les pieds (with the feet). Sunday I went to the farmer's market to accomplish my mission. It was really really cold, like 19 degrees and it was snowing. We thought Spring was around the corner, but no, winter hit us in the face. It was so cold my thighs were numb. Just in case you didn't know, jeans are not made for warmth. Anyways, I got in line with Ronny to purchase the chicken, but I was in the rotisserie chicken line, which in-and-of-itself was overwhelming. There was a lot of yelling in French, it was very fast. I realized my error and changed lines. That's when I saw it. Right in front of me...a chicken...with feet...and a head! The head was tucked up under with a tuft of feathers sticking out. Now, I'm afraid of birds. The fact that I'm even considering buying a chicken with feet is a big deal. But a head?! I draw lines! My heart starting beating a little bit faster and I started to get the "oh god there's a bird in my personal space feeling". Needless to say, we did not buy the chicken. Ronny actually said that a chicken with a head was taking the joke too far. We also have really crappy knives. Imagine the horror if we tried to cut off the head and our knives couldn't cut it?! Oh...I shudder to think. Never fear, I have some time left, and I will continue to look for a chicken with just feet.

New Job

This week I started my new nanny gig. It's so interesting. I pick these kids up, drive them to an activity or home...and that's it. They don't really talk that much either. It's amazing. My brothers were not allowed to sit next to each other in the car, but these boys don't make a peep while we drive home. It's actually freaking me out a little bit. I do drive a lot...that kind of stinks. I never realized how tiring driving can be.
In other news, we were able to successfully get the window on our car fixed for free. The mechanic was not thrilled to be doing it (or speaking to us in English), but nevertheless we have a working window!
Tomorrow we are going to a friend's house for fondue! I'm very excited about that!
Yeah, this week has been boring, but I am trying to make more of an effort to blog. I'm trying to get my hands on a chicken with feet so Richie will get off my back. That event will be it's own posting with pictures...I leave you with that.

So I don't have only one post in February

What an interesting day! Ronny and I are having some car trouble. The driver side window on our car is not working. Worse yet, it is stuck in the down position...all the way down. Right now we have two trash bags taped to the window...classy. Now, in America this might not be that hard, but we're not in America, are we? The previous owner of the car had the window fixed before we bought it, so allegedly this problem should be under warranty. We found the mechanic, a nice guy with grease on his face who didn't speak English tried to help us. He looked at the car, looked at the receipt we had, and told us to come back on Monday. Keep your fingers crossed!!
Ronny and I went to Geneva today. We were trying to get train tickets to Italy. We are going to go to Venice and Florence in April. The train ticket place was closed...stupid weekend hours. So we walked around Geneva. We walked around the Botanical Gardens and then had a pint (a beer for Ronny, cider for me) at Mr. Pickwicks. It was a really nice day. Honestly, Ronny and I have not done that much together in the city. I've done a lot without him. It was nice to spend some time with my husband.
I also start my new nanny gig on Monday. I'll be a glorified chauffeur for three kids. I'm taking this over for my friend who recently left the area. I'm looking forward to having something to do...although I'm not so sure how thrilled I am about the amount of driving. Oh well, I get to use their car for the rest of the time I'm here and it's something!

Happenings

So what has been going on since last I blogged? Well, we have heat and hot water on a regular basis. We did have one day with no hot water because the water company assumed no one was living in the house. No, they didn't knock or call, they just turned the hot water off. Our landlord suggested we write an angry letter...my French vocab has grown exponentially, but I can't word an angry letter yet. Also, our landlord asked us to move into another apartment so he could move into ours. He's breaking up with his girlfriend. We had to say no. The place he gave us as an option is 1 km away from the bus and a contains a number of other inconveniences.

This is the last week of my French classes. I will miss them. However, armed with a basic understanding of French, I have decided to really work on the Rosetta Stone and to continue working in the workbooks I have acquired.

We have also booked tickets to London for the end of March! Super excited! We will be staying with some distant relatives, and we are really looking forward to sightseeing. We will also be entertaining my Aunt Wendy and Uncle Doug for the Easter week. I can't wait! Ronny has to work that week, so I am really lucky to have people to keep me company.
That's the short of it...oh and it's still cold. Boo.

What is the Coldest Shower You Have Ever Taken?

How do I possibly describe the events of the past...what 4 or 5 days? I'll do it with lot's of sarcasm and minimal profanity. On Wednesday night we realized that the radiators were not working. Ronny, who has been "so hot" in our room was pleased that the temperature was what he considers comfortable for sleeping. At my request, he e-mailed the landlord. That e-mail went promptly to his spam mail, but that's a minor detail. Upon waking up, we discovered that not only was the heat not working, but we did not have hot water. Unfortunately, I am one of those people that has to wash their hair everyday...thanks Mom. So I hung my head over the shower and washed my hair faster than I've ever washed it before. We finally got in touch with the landlord, who came over to try to fix it. He did a temporary fix, which fixed absolutely nothing! So, we slept bundled up with warm clothes and a beanie. Super.
Friday morning...I'm feeling not so fresh as a daisy. These Europeans might be cool with occasional showers, but there is no way in hell I'm going two days without a shower. Ronny and I were the guinea pigs. Ronny put our towels in the dryer so they would be nice and toasty, and while he "showered" I aimed the blow-dryer at him. No, we did not think about getting electrocuted. I have never laughed so hard! Ronny couldn't breathe the water was so cold! I learned from his mistake and decided not to go fully into the water. I also turned the water off while I wasn't using it. Despite my learning curve, it was the coldest shower I have ever taken in my life. Unfortunately, I've taken a very very cold shower before while I was in Nantucket...so I know what I'm f-ing talking about. Our roommate Joe learned from both Ronny and I, he boiled water to shower. Now, you may be asking "Why not boil water for a bath?" Easy, we don't have a tub here in Switzerfrance! It's only a shower and it's tiny, so moving on! Friday it also started snowing. We got quite a bit of snow and it's going to snow off and on all weekend. Someone did come to fix the problem, but it didn't stick because Saturday we still have no heat and no hot water. My boiled water hair wash and wipe down was better than the shower, but not by much. Yeah, we'll look back at this and laugh, but right now I'm pretty damn cold!

I'm from Florida...I'm cold

Today while I was waiting for the tram (which was really late) it started to snow. I am never prepared for the random snow showers. I am never wearing the right jacket. I'm always bundled, but I want to be wearing my water resistant jacket not my "I'm so cute in Europe" jacket. It was really cold today. I wore tights under my jeans, ear muffs, a hat, scarf, and gloves. Want to know what is absolutely awesome? Our radiators (which had been hot even when in the 'off' position) are not working. They are cold. Want to know what else is fabulous? We don't have hot water! I'm really cold. Tomorrow morning is going to be rough if the hot water problem isn't solved...and it probably won't be because we have no idea how to solve it ourselves. Just thought you should know.

First Week of French Class

Last week was my first week of French class. Here's a nice Europe story. On the way to my first class I was on the number 13 tram. A man with a guitar case strapped to his back got on the tram. Once he found his spot, he opened his guitar and started playing. Now picture if you will, me sitting by a window in a tram looking out at Geneva while some random Swiss guys plays the soundtrack to my own personal movie. It was a very cliche, only happens in the movies, moment.
So how is French class? French class is a little difficult. There are at least two ways to form questions, and there are inherit rules that you learn only by making a mistake. The whole thing is taught in French...no English at all. I am the only American in the class and the only person who has never had a formal French class. (No, I am not counting the brief stint in 6th or 7th grade.) That is challenging. The other students have vocabulary words in their arsenal that I don't have. It just means that I study harder. I went to CERN everyday last week and studied until lunch time. It was really nice sitting in Ronny's office doing my "work". I really enjoy going into the city everyday. Today I am meeting some girls from my class to practice talking French and asking questions.

French Class Starts Monday

This afternoon I went to the Ifage school in Geneva to take a free test to see what level of French I should be in. Big surprise I'm a beginner, but I'm a beginner plus! I start my French classes on Monday. They will be everyday for five weeks. I'm really excited! I was able to complete the first "test" no problem so they gave me a harder one to try. Yeah, it was hard. Then I had to answer some questions from a teacher, like where am I from, where do I live here, am I married, etc. I'm really excited to have something to do every day in the city. I have to look into the price of a bus/tram pass, but I'll do that this weekend. I'll be writing these blogs in French soon enough!

It's Snowing and Raining!!

It snowed overnight! Ronny was very concerned that I would be driving in snow, but those fears were laid to rest when we realized the car was covered in snow and probably not going to be able to get out of the parking lot. When you have to shovel a path for your car that's when I say take the bus. So I will be taking the bus to Geneva later today. Not really looking forward to that because the bus makes me really car sick. I guess it's warmed up a little because the snow has turned to rain, which is not nearly as neat. Here's a video of our first day in snow in Thoiry.

Welcome Back!

Well blogger fans, we're back! Just got into Thoiry today. Not going to lie, I'm a little jet-lagged and I'm having a really hard time adjusting to the changing pressure. My head feels like it's going to explode. However, tomorrow I plan to be in tip-top condition and in Geneva. I am going to go to an orientation for a French language course to see what level I would be in. Hopefully I will be able to start on the 18th.
Anyways, we took the bus from the airport all the way home, a new change to the bus routes. I almost got car sick on the bus, super. With all the roundabouts and meandering roads it's not hard to get queasy, quickly. Our apartment was in good condition and our back log of mail was mostly junk. Ronny went to the store while I took a power nap, bless his heart. Now I'm just waiting for ten o'clock so I can sleep for real.
I will post pictures soon, but my goodness! The snow is incredible. I have already used my snow boots (best purchase ever) and my feet have not left my amazingly warm slippers. Also donned my 180s earmuffs. All in all, I'm as prepared as I'll ever be. There is about 4 inches of snow on the ground, and boy is snow bright. I had no idea. Now my very white living room is super-duper white.

A pedestrian's guide to the LHC

Since the collider (LHC) is back in business, and our experiment (CMS) is up and running successfully, I figure it would be a good idea to share this CERN FAQ with our blog audience. It gives a pretty good overview and explanation of the science that goes on at CERN. You can download the Pdf file from this link: http://tier2.ihepa.ufl.edu/~remington/CERN-Brochure-2009-003-Eng.pdf

Back to France!

Well, it was a nice break. It was great to be back and see our families. It went by so fast, as it always does. We fly out tomorrow at 12:15 from Orlando. We'll be meeting up with our roommate, Joe at the airport, and all three of us will be crossing the pond together. We have lots of things on the agenda for the next few months, so we'll keep our loyal blog audience updated. Jeannette plans to start French courses soon after we get back. We have tentative plans to spend a few days in London. We have tickets to come back to the States on May 30th. Weather or not that will be a visit or a permanent move depends on how the next few months go. We'll see!