I think I'm getting sick

A couple of things.

First, the next time I go to the grocery store, I AM NOT ALLOWED TO BUY ANYMORE SUGAR. Such as Nutella (and crackers/cookies to go along with it), no more Kinder chocolate bars, no more Pims cookies, no more ice cream!!

My stomach is aching so bad because I just went on this little binge and cleared out my bottle of Nutella. It was very delicious, but totally unnecessary.

Plus, I realized I'm going to the grocery store and spending over 30 Euros once or twice a week. If I cut down my dessert/snack consumption, I think I'll be spending less and buying more grains/produce. Although, the desserts really are each under 2 Euros apiece. Whatever, my stomach and heart will thank me for it -- if I can summon up that kind of self-control.

And I'm sure you've all been waiting to hear about my club experiences in Europe. So here goes:

Friday night I was invited by two other girls teaching in Antibes to come make some drinks in Juan-Les-Pins before going out to a club. Kathy, the girl whose apartment we were crashing for the night, thought she'd save some money and only buy the 15 Euro bottle of white rum (as opposed to the 20+) to make some mojitos. I brought along my left over lychee liqueur and pineapple juice to make exotic cocktails in addition to the mojitos.

Long story short, cheap alcohol here is a NEVER AGAIN. It tasted like rubbing alcohol and I had about one and a half lychee drinks before going out.

Once we got there, I paid the cover fee, which included a free drink! There was a large dance floor, mainly with squished females, playing stereotypical "Euro Trash Techno." (See below)

Then we noticed a private room, playing much better songs, such as American hits and salsa music! Kathy asked the bouncer in front of the velvet ropes what you needed to do to get in, when he responded, "You have to buy a bottle." No thanks. So we hit the dance floor in the large, teenager-filled room.

And then I got gutsy and asked the second, younger bouncer of the night and he let me and my friends right in! Once we got there, we noticed the disco ball and the group of 30-somethings (all six of them) started at us when we started dancing to American 70s dance hits! Think, Jackson 5, Gloria Gaynor, THE GREASE SOUNDTRACK. Overall, it was a really exciting night, but only because we made our way into "forbidden" territory. However, I don't see myself going back a second time for the same price.

When we left, it was FREEZING. Which was an ominous sign for Saturday morning. All yesterday the skies were tainted with thick, gray clouds, but no rain ever fell from them. The mistral (strong and cold Southern French winds) howled all afternoon and shut off our tv/radio signals every few minutes.

Today the weather is much more mild and the sun is out, but there's still that early-winter chill to be found in the air. I believe my beach days have now come to an end :(

And for my last topic of monologue "discussion," nearly all of my end-0f-the-year trips are 100% certain! For the Loire Valley at the beginning of November, I already have hotel and train reservations! Mid-November, I purchased a train ticket to visit my family near Toulon for the weekend, and when Aimee arrives in December, we're going to Toulon for Christmas, Geneva, Lyon, and then Paris on New Year's! The hotel in Paris is already booked and I hope to finish the other reservations no later than Wednesday!

I don't think I've ever looked forward to winter this much!