Day in the life

My Paris life is a combination of jaw-dropping amazement and soul-crushing drudgery.  Observe. 

Here are some pictures of me out for a normal day with Camille.  We were running errands. We were also kicking ass and taking names but it's best if you don't know the details about that, for your own safety.   

Coco no longer reclines back in her stroller; she sits straight up because it's easier for her to lunge and grab whatever we pass.  It makes pushing her stroller super exciting because if I don't notice her lunging and grabbing, there's a danger of breaking her arms since the girl doesn't let go.  Those tiny hands are so vice-like, that will so strong...

 Ninja

We were heading to the Right Bank so we crossed the Seine.  Pretty --

Unfortunately, we were on the Right Bank for printer paper at Darty.  Ugly --

I saw this canvas at one of my favorite stores and seriously considered buying it for Coco's room.  She is our Paris-grown baby, after all.  But it was a pretty big canvas and I couldn't bear the thought of dragging it home --

 

Across the river, we saw part of the Conciergerie covered in what appeared to be a large advertisement for the iPad --

My heart sank.  Marie Antoinette would be so upset!  Her beloved prison! Then I realized Marie Antoinette would be more like, "Meh, screw that place," so keep rockin' your giant obnoxious ad, Apple.  Marie's severed head is smiling down upon you. 

Then I saw these shoes.  The sign said they cost 400 euro --

I considered walking into the store to congratulate the saleslady on her funny joke, but I didn't because her face was really pinchy -- it didn't look like she'd used her sense of humor in a long time.  Could she have been serious????

We passed this sign at a creperie, which translated "galettes au boeuf" as "beef pancakes."  I doubt they're big sellers with the tourist crowd.  The translation doesn't really work, plus it sounds sexual.  I'm pretty sure if you walk into a place and say, "I want to eat some beef pancakes" you're going to get either a punch in the face or somebody's phone number.

Then I went back to my favorite store and bought that giant Paris canvas because I often fixate obsessively on things.  As I feared, it made for an awkward walk home.  I tried hanging it on the back of the stroller but it dragged on the ground.  I tried carrying it but then I only had one hand for stroller steering, which meant Coco was in constant peril of being driven into traffic. I made my choice.  I let the bag drag on the ground.  Now gimme a mother award!

Immediately after I pried Coco's vice-like fingers off some lady's shopping bags and apologized profusely, Cokes decided she was tired and fell asleep instantly, leaving me alone to sweat and swear and stumble home with her giant Paris picture. I would have forgiven her for that if, immediately upon return to the apartment, she hadn't perked right up and trashed the place. 

I stopped at this produce stand on the way home because I needed celery.  Nice melons, eh? 

When you buy celery at a produce market like this one, the stalk comes with twenty feet of leaves sticking out the top.  It's large and unwieldy and it's often tough to keep your celery under control.  There was an elderly woman in front of me who was also buying celery.  When it came her turn to pay, the man offered to chop the leaves off before he weighed it.  I'd never seen that before!  Hey, that's great! 

I was excited for him to chop my leaves off, too, but he didn't, just slapped the whole thing on the scale and made me pay for seventeen pounds of worthless leaves.  When I told him I didn't want the leaves either, he said he only does that for that one elderly woman.  It's OK, I know he's lying and just hates me.  I'm cool with it.   

Then I struggled home with a canvas dragging on the ground and what looked like a small tree sprouting up from the stroller basket.  Occasionally the leaves obscured my vision and I ran the stroller into a sidewalk cafe table.  Ima go back later and jam those worthless celery leaves in that guy's ears, but only because I've been in a foul mood since everyone around here got on my case about DSK. 

Isn't Place de Furstemberg looking lovely today?

 

See, it's a combo.  You do the same old boring errands, and it's harder to do them,  but your surroundings are a lot prettier.

Beef Pancakes!
MJ