EEEEEEEK

I'm going to admit something I've been freaking out about a lot lately.

I'm having a blog identity crisis!!!!

You see, most blogs I read have cohesive themes and are all really neat and inspiring. As for me, I'm all over the place! I'm ADD and crazy (not really, but my blog is).

I'm envious of all you neat theme-y bloggers out there and to tell the truth, I've been trying to be like you :) It was easy when I started this blog back when I lived in France. My new life abroad and the painful struggles of a foreigner was mostly all I talked about. Then I tried to change the theme to life as a Californian and now my 60+ hour work weeks leave for some pretty boring entries.....

Oh well, I'm trying to figure out this book club thing. So expect something about that in my next entry :) But before that, I'm off to go for a mini run. We have another three-game set at No. 25 (in the country!!!) UC Irvine. So I'm down here in Orange County for several hours with really not a whole lot to do!

So maybe a little run, then exploring the mallish areas here.

And oh yeah.... I had dinner with and met Jim Abbott last night ;) Be jealous!! He's a really nice dude!

I think I could be, but I hope I'm not, turning into a hippie

Over the past few weeks, something has sort of gotten into me. Actually, months if not year. But I've been into buying products that go on my body which are made from organic, natural materials. Think about how weird it is to be clogging your pores with synthetically-made products that scientists still aren't 100 percent sure how they'll affect our bodies...

I hope that doesn't make me a hippie.

But lately, I've been using this shampoo and conditioning line from Target that's 100 percent natural products. It smells funny and I'm pretty sure that smell "au naturel" isn't sticking to any part of me.

But to the point of my story: my mom and dad brought back some French shampoos and conditioners when they came back from France not too long ago. I know the French pride themselves on their superior sense of style and pure ingredients and whatnot. I lived there twice, I understand and kind of think they have reason to feel that way.

However, after coming home for the weekend and using the equivalent of L'Oreal's Vive PRO, Elsève, my hair feels really slick (but not in a good way), heavy and greasy. I always felt like my hair was shiny, fuller and thicker after using that product. I guess you don't realize what something actually does to your hair/body until you've stripped down to the bare minimum and see what a difference artificially-synthesized products will do to you.

...in case you're worried, I'm still shaving my armpits by the way!!!

I shouldn't be doing this...

Every now and then, I delight in travel novels. I really enjoy other peoples' writing about their travels and adventures.

Except this time, it's really getting to me. I'm currently reading Eat, Pray, Love and even though I'm only in the "eat" section, I'm reallllly getting the desire to travel. Nevermind that she left her husband and then went on this crazy life journey, I'm not even close to that level.


But I would absolutely love to work up for a few years (have to get promoted first, because it's not happening on my stipend) and save loads of money. Then, instead of buying property like most normal "adults," I want to travel for a year. Maybe more. Just living with a camera, clothes and money. I don't care where -- South America, Africa, Europe, it really doesn't matter to me.

Reflecting back on my (two) time(s) in France, my absolute favorite parts involved my significant travels. I think if it had all worked out with my roommate/living situation, maybe I'd still be over there, really coming into my own.

But before any of this happens, I need to continue learning Spanish and maybe pick up another language. That's it, I'm deciding when I'm not taking master's classes (be it summer, or when I finish), I WILL take more language classes.

And one day, I will travel. I'm going to live like a nomad and see the world.


...Anyone want in with me?

Bonne fête MONIQUE !

This morning I woke up to this email with the same title as today's blog post. All I saw in the title was "Bonne fête M" and assumed it was for either mother's or grandmother's day. However, neither of those fall in August.

Then I remembered: Today is Saint Monique's day! On the Catholic (and most European) calendars, each day is assigned a Saint based on his or her birth. If your prénom is shared with one of the saints, you get to celebrate on their day of birth.

That means someone needs to buy me a cake and throw me a party tonight. Or a beer will do.

"More bars in more places"

I wish I could find it online, but AT&T has a new cell phone commercial boasting even better coverage in France than the leading companies.

The thing I enjoy most about that commercial is the woman speaking in French. She's telling the American family, "Over here you'll find the television and here is your bed," etc. Except, she's totally a native English speaker. One who probably hasn't had more than a class or two of French. You know those people who speak really sing-songy in up and down intonations? Not like I'm a French pro or anything -- I'm still quite far from it -- but at least French people always had to ask me where I was from. When they did find out I was American, everyone was extremely impressed.

Whatever, I pride myself on understanding enough French and knowing enough about social conventions and culture there to realize a non-French speaker when I hear one!

And in other news, as sad as I still am about the Rich Harden trade, I'm not sore enough to deny that the boy looks pretty good in blue.

It's finally over

Although I abandoned ship a little early on my nine-month contract in the Academie de Nice, today would have officially been my last day working.

My sister graduates this weekend from Santa Barbara and I had the o.k. way back in February to finish my contract two and a half weeks early and I even booked a ticket to fly out on Wednesday, June 11.

Wow, the time has flown REALLY quickly not teaching and being in the United States (doing important things like getting a job and searching for a house). I don't think I could have sanely made it over the past month with that crazed roommate I had! I know had I stayed, I would have been on the hunt for a new place ASAP.

But you know what, I kind of want to be there still. There's the catch. However, I promised myself not to set foot in the same place twice anymore -- if I can help it. There's the whole rest of the world I want to see next! Well, first there's some money to be made, and then when I have vacation time, I'd like to get my feelers out there.