AliThinks

Small Town Photo Of The Day

I took this photo through the windshield while Dan drove, but he blogged it first.  (Damn you, Dan, damn you!) 

Click for a close-up.

Somewhere in Rural France

I wrote this entry with pen and paper, then I had the bright idea to borrow Dan’s laptop to type it up, save it on my flash disk, and pop it into my computer after I get home. This laptop has a QWERTY keyboard (or "jetboard," as it always comes out the first few times I re-use a QWERTY), so it might take me a while to type.

This is actually quite a scene. I’m sitting in the car in front of a ruin of a house. We came here so that Dan and Peter could sketch some things. I filmed them a bit, and took pictures, and then wrote for a bit. It’s overcast and a bit chilly, which is why I’m in the car. I’m cold.

When we go back to Peter’s studio, Dan will varnish the painting he finished this morning. I enjoyed filming him and Peter at work. Well, Daniel was painting and Peter was doing some electrical work. Anyway, I enjoyed using a camcorder again. I like to think I did a good job shooting footage, although a tripod would have been helpful. At some points my hand and arm were a little unsteady, but I think my eye has developed since college. I feel that I framed everything pretty well, something that I didn’t necessarily do back then.

I also took some still photos.  Check them out.

We're Off To See The Wizard

Well, not really, and I won't be following the yellow brick road, or the golden road to unlimited devotion, either.  I'll be following a Route Nationale deep into the heart of the Charente region, to spend the day observing my friend Daniel, who came to visit the other day.  Dan has written a bit about his work on his blog.  Go check it out. 

I'm going to help Dan by filming him and Peter Evans working together.  It ought to be interesting to use a digital camcorder.  It's a far cry from the VHS camcorder I used in college.  I might have to read the fucking manual first. 

The one bad thing is that the weather is cloudy.  I was hoping for some good light to take photos by.  Apparently the town I'm going to is just gorgeous.  I'm taking my camera (and spare batteries, thanks for the reminder, Allan), so maybe I'll get some decent photos anyway. 

I've been invited to stick around this evening and meet some other English artists, but I don't know if I'll do that.  It's a 90-minute drive, and I might just need to get home. 

Almost All Better

I can't stay grumpy too long, not when my kitties are so damn cute.

This is the third or fourth photo I took this evening.  Cookie had heard the whirring noises of the camera, and was in the midst of giving it a karate chop. 

Feeling Merdique

Some minor physical ailments prevented me from going to dinner at a colleague's house this evening.  I could have gone; I'm not on my deathbed.  But to my mind, feeling headachy/dizzy and driving don't mix. 

I'll most likely be postponing, possibly cancelling my trip to visit Dan tomorrow as well. 

Blah! 

I'm feeling grumpy.  Let me quit before this all goes downhill. 

They Never Realize...

...the importance of English until later.  However, I wasn't expecting it this quickly.  I just got this e-mail from one of my 9th graders.  Here it is, in all its text message-style, 9th-grade-grammar-mistakes glory.  Names have been changed to protect the guilty.  Translation will follow.

 

I'm Singing Coldplay In My Head

Brothers and Sisters

Please notice the claw marks in the blue pleather chair.  My ex "gave" me this chair because he and his business partner didn't need it in their new office.  I'm not the vindictive type, but I am pleased that the kitties have fulfilled their need to claw on this particular chair.  Sumatra has done enough damage to the futon frame with her own claws, but again, when I move to the States, I'm going to give the futon to my ex.  "Here, you can have it.  Cadeau!" 

Blog-o-rama, Updated

I pruned a few outdated links from my blogroll, and added a few more links that I'd bookmarked. 

One of these days maybe I'll join Blogrolling Gold in order to put my blog links in categories.  I already know that one of the categories will be called "Alison Blogs".  There's a new Alison in my blogroll.  See if you can find her. 

A Game For Monday

Celia Blue came up with another fun blogthing. 

Here is my list of famous people that I've seen or met in my travels and goings-about:

• Rob Lowe (actor)
• Natalie Merchant (singer)
• Magic Johnson (basketball star)
• Mireille Darc (actrice française)
• Muriel Robin (comédienne française)
• Walter Matthau (actor, I actually MET him)
• Harry Morgan (same thing)
• Ariana Richards (actress, screams a lot in Jurassic Park, met her)
• Jérôme Bonaldi (French TV host/journalist, met him)
• Delbert Mann (film director, met him)

I feel like there are more, but I can't remember them.  A number of people I went to college with are now TV reporters, news anchors, or weathermen.  But that doesn't count, now does it? 

What about you?  Who have you seen or met? 

The One I Promised

Earlier today, or yesterday now, I promised to write about my friend Dan, who was stopping by. 

Daniel.  Daniel is American, is married to a Frenchwoman, has two bi-cultural children, and used to live near where I used to live.  We met about seven years ago at a going-away party for someone whose name neither of us can remember.  At the time, we did that thing that all Americans abroad do:

Hey, you're American!  Where are you from?

Within three minutes we'd established that I'd gone to high school with his cousins.  I suppose that cemented our friendship.  Daniel and I have felt a bond since, even though our contact has been sporadic.  A couple three years later, Daniel and his family moved back to the United States.  By then we all had internet, so we kept in (sporadic) contact via e-mail. 

I see Daniel, Christine, and their kids about once a year, when they come back to France.  You see, Dan is an artist, and has been arranging art workshops in France for the past few years.  Each year he and Christine host a gathering for their friends and the workshop students. 

Dan sent me an e-mail last week, to say that they were in France, and to see if we could get together.  This year is different; there are no students.  Instead, Dan got a grant, and will spend about two weeks painting in the same town he's held his workshops.  He also will be documenting the work of an English artist who's lived there for 30 years.  And...Daniel wanted to pick my brain about blogging.  He's considering using the blog as an additional medium in his documentation of the English artist. 

A few weeks ago, Dan started his own blog.  Today we discussed ways he could use a blog, perhaps his, perhaps a new blog, for the work he intends to do. 

It was good to catch up, good to talk about blogging and life and other things.  And I got treated to dinner!  Click to see some photos I took at the café up the street.  (Oh, and that's where I took the photo in my last post). 

Give Us This Day...

Untitled

Last night's thunderstorm didn't cool things down enough.  It's hot out there.  It's hot in here, too, and I'm feeling pretty apathetic. 

Yet I need to clean up a little more.  The kitchen is a mess.  My friend Dan is stopping by this afternoon.  I'll tell you about Dan in another post.  He's stopping by to say hello, and to pick my brain about blogging. 

I'm quite flattered that someone wants advice about blogging.  I do feel that I am good at it -- perhaps that is rather big-headed of me, but I rarely boast about anything.  This blog has been an outlet for me, and people read me anyway.  That's cool. 

So Dan and I are going to catch up.  Last time I saw him was last summer, and I was in the midst of making the difficult decision to leave my husband.  A lot has happened since then.  It's pretty amazing, when you think about it. 

It's lunchtime.  Back later with some linkage.

This Is Not My Favorite Color

you are lavender #E6E6FA

Your dominant hue is blue, making you a good friend who people love and trust. You're good in social situations and want to fit in. Just be careful not to compromise who you are to make them happy. Your saturation level is very low - you have better things to do than jump headfirst into every little project. You make sure your actions are going to really accomplish something before you start because you hate wasting energy making everyone else think you're working. Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Tip o' the hat to Celia Blue, who's sweetly pazzo.  Funny thing is, I wouldn't choose this as my favorite color or anything, but I am attracted to it.  When I redid my office a couple of years ago, I chose to decorate it with shades of purple, including lavendar. 

Slick Makes a Comeback!

I found him across the street.  Kitties are the best!

I Will Follow

Got Tagged Again

This time it was NewWaveGurly who up and tagged me. 

The game is easy: think of your favorite camp or childhood song.  It took me a while, but I remembered this song.  We'd sing it in a round:

I love the mountains,
I love the rolling hills,
I love the clovers,
I love the daffodils,
I love the fireside, - when all the lights are low.
Boom de ah da, boom de ah da,
Boom de ah da, boom de ay.

I won't tag anyone.  I'll just ask you to participate if you want to. 

Thinking

When my students asked if they were the reason I was quitting teaching, I should have answered "Yes."

Cat Blog Friday, Sad Edition

Here is Oil Slick.  Oil slicks cause destruction, don't they?  Well, this is Slick, moments before he started wrestling with his sister on my shelves, knocking down half the books. 

Slick jumped out the kitchen window last night.  I don't know if I'll get him back.  He won't be able to get back in if he wants to.  I'm a little sad.

OK, People, That's A Wrap!

So I'm no longer a teacher.  I still have some in-service days to complete, but I don't have to try and inculcate concepts of English to hormonal French teenagers.  Anymore.

On to the next! 

Proud Mama

Look at my son.  He's seven, and just had his first windsurfing lesson* today.  According to his dad, he handled the board like it was old hat.  He didn't fall once.  His hair was dry at the end of the lesson. 

*The ex lives in a coastal town, and the ex-FIL paid for sailing lessons for our son.  Today was the last day, and T. got to try windsurfing.