Monday May be a Defining Moment

Oh now mom, it's one of those things, joking and kidding and the truth comes out in both... the apartment is on the top floor of a seady hotel next to a junior college full of wannabe philosophers. It cost, in the end 700euro for the whole stay. This amount couldn't have gotten us a two star hotel in Paris.

Beyond this, who really likes Paris? I was trying to make the Parisianne landing soft for Michelle but of course I decided to take the metro into town. This is a hot and sweaty adventure with the heavy bags that we had... Megan can tell you... and you can see by the pic that I didn't pack so well as to blend in... when I walk up to someone they immeadiately speak english and only when I say something in French do they look me up and down, reflect on my lack of Parisianne style, look over at my wife, shake their heads and wonder why she didn't pack, and then say, "OOOHH! You speak French," in English, and then, "I could never have guessed dat you were able..."

Well on the train ride in we experienced what I suddenly feared, with clenched teeth, might be the theme of the whole trip. Our bags were amounst us, in a train alcove with four seats, this I will admit, and a man came up to us and motioned with his finger that he would like to sit down in a seat that had a bag in it. I spoke: "You want to sit here?" I looked around and generally pointed at a number of other seats that were vacant. "Yes, I wan to seet'ere. Your bags go out and I seet'ere. Dat is what you do." So I slowly, allowing the train to gingerly move along and gather a pace, stood and picked up teh suitcases and put them overhead. He sat down and then he moved seats after another couple of stops. Michelle and I looked at one another, pondered this and laughed.

So, I tell you this to make mention of the fact that Paris is the home of the rude, the hateful, the spieteful American haters. And they do not want us here. They tell us this time and time again. We feel like we're shunned. When we ask for help they spit in our faces. Everywhere we go they spit in our faces! All over St. Germaines, the people turn from their coffee drinks and spit... I can't tell if it's because it's too hot to drink Coffee and Capucinos, or if they just look at me in my Green shirt and insantly hate me...

I got to get out of this place. Please, let me go back to Tyler where I fit in and everyone speaks slowly, even if they don't speak my language. At least there they spit because they have chew in their mouths.

I hope that tomorrow, when we meet Guillaume, the spitting will stop! I hope he forgives us for being American and, worst of all, being with him, making him the dsigrace of the community! We're just invading Normandy by train, just like our grandfathers did, giving these frogs the liberte to spit on who they wish.

So, as you can see, it is real work here. Getting from one meeting to the next. From Thursday to Monday. Monday, by the way, should be the day of the commercial dealing. I know the engineers want the deal two weeks ago and are going to send us information next week. But they are waiting, also, on the commercial guy... Christian! He'll spit on me and then shake hands, I'm sure.

Anyway, to leave this email on a good note, to allay the worries you have of us walking through saliva and catching, god forbid, Tuberculosis, I must say, I did find a couple of darn good wines, a Cahor, a Bergerac (Megan will know them) and a Bordeux; and along with that, you can imagine me, if you care to, walking along a beach outside of Granville (the biggest city in the world by Gui's standards... poor country boy), in a speedo that is about to bust at the butt from chlorine corrosion and farts.

brings back memories...

Your pics and news from Paris remind me of the old days when McKee's were stretched out all over the globe: Tom in China, Will in Tiawan, Megan in France or New Hampshire, Katie at New Life. Then, there was the time Meg was in Ireland, Tom in Romania, Will in France, and Katie and I were in Tulsa....it was always a challenge to keep everyone in touch, before email and blogs....

This weekend finds Katie in Colorado, Will & Michelle in Paris, Jordo in Virginia, Megan and Jesse in Owasso...and Tom in heaven....watching over us all.

Will, it may require force to get Michelle on the plane home....I've included a picture of a device that can be purchased at the American Express office in Paris....just strap her in.....keep repeating: "Oklahoma is OK"...

oh yes Sue .... the fact that Brangelina rented an apartment was not lost on me. In fact we have adopted a Cambiodian boy just for the week and I have been walking around with a ball under my shirt to pretend I am in the family way just like Angie. We are having the best time of our lives. We seem to blend in here with ease and the only thing missing is our beloved Champ. We miss Attie but Champ was made for this city ... in fact here he would not seem half as neurotic.
Here is our apartment ...

There was a International Beach Volleyball Tourney going on at the Eiffel Tower. Here is Will enjoying the volleyball ... mainly the women's games.

Here I am at the gym trying to determine who wants a cappachino after working out in an unair-conditioned room ...

Tomorrow we are going to the Modern Art Muesum, I am going to get a hair cut then we will lust at the Chanel store (ok ... just me) and we are going to the Sacre Couer. Will will post tomorrow ...

These damn French

We really can't stand it here. They don't have grocerystores lined up next to one another with vast heat absorbing parking lots. They don't know how to dress... I want to dispell that right now. These cars are so small that I might as well walk! The buildings at least have plumbing, but they need a/c. Everything is such a challenge! They might as well drive on the wrong side of the road!

This above is from an alternative universe. The girls really are good looking, and when Michelle got tired of looking at them she started realizing that the men were good looking too... I haven't stopped looking at the girls though.

In fact I swim with them. We joined a health club. Club latin Quatier. We want to live like we do in Les Etats Unis. We have tremebdous stories everyday from the gym. And then we walk our feet off.

Tonight I went to have meetings with who else, Francois. They are all Francois here. Well we had a good time. We just talked about centrifugal casting machines. It was so fun. In french! Mean while, Michelle was off on her own, tempting fate, wondering if she might be lost. In a foriegn land! Alas, I returned to our apartment, changed my dressy, tiresome attire, and went to our humble little cafe and found her just beginning to eat a salad. Such a charming time. I said to the waiter, "Le Plat du jour, Misseur, et une biere! Si vous plait."

We have a couple days free now. I meet with the money man, Christian, at 6pm on Monday... my meeting today was at 4pm, just after Francois arrived from Russia with his engineur, Francois le deux... and now a meeting at 6pm?

Well this is fine. Or, "Dis is goooot," as my friend Gui would say. His wife is pregnant, Miruna, and they wanted to come meet us and stay with us (it is almost like we live here with this apartment, and can have people come visit, but...), however, I asked, "If it is not too rude, may we come visit you?"

"Mais Oui." So we will leave Sunday monring and arrive in Granville on the coast.

I told him that I wanted to take a photo of French country house to show my mother. He said, "That is goooot because we are French and we live in the country." So we will be staying there and swimming in the sea and he said, "If you American Oklahoman needs to hunt, we can go fishing at our family swamp and walk through the fields." I said only if it is reindeer...

"You cannot shoot the reindeer. Well you Americans think of the strangest things about shooting. Why don't we shoot the poor arabs why don't we?"

"Alas, we might hunt Arabs!"

We rode a ferris wheel tonight, high through the air like a couple of birds, and when we passed by the people that were running the machine they spun us around and the sites went spinning: the Sacre Couer, Le Bastile, L'arc du Triumph (Where is this Landis character? He Stole the Tour! Find him and put him away!) Le Louvre, Le TOur Eiffel, cette amalgamation pour Nepolean! Tout Paris et le Pantheon.

We're staying right next to the Pantheon. It is up the way. Old dead people... dead people are seeping into our souls at night. I felt it the first night when there was a storm and the dust blew up from the streets like wisps of souls out of the gutters, bums and Racine and Des Cartes alike. When we made for the apartment our courtyard was quiet but for the burst of light that flashed through the sky. We went to the top floor, and held the windows open to gather some fresh cool air, as we do not have a/c. And the rain came and we could hear all Paris sigh, because this was the cool front that would keep the old french people from dying.

"Why do they die Gui?"

"They have no air condition. But this must happen in the United States."

"Of course, in Chicago usually. This year it is St. Louis and Beiut."

"Is Beirut a State?"

"Not a State, but a city in Indiana... and the Paris of the MiddleEast."

"That was some time ago I am afraid. But there are plenty to shoot."

Goodbye.

good morning

Jesse, what happened to your funny blogs? They disappeared. Well, anyway..........God bless you-all on this beautiful morning. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. The lake was so fun! The weather was lovely, the water was choppy and I was airborn on the seadoo, my friends were all heterosexual, we are all sober women, God is good. Have a safe and happy week.

dear jesse,
i'm sorry. i was under the impression this was a joke that everyone was in on.
my bad,
michelle

darn it....

Does anyone else have the problem of posting pictures here at 6935? Jesse, you have protected us so strenuously that I can't get my pictures to appear. It's almost like my pictures are subversive....a force for evil...endangering all of us in this building. Can you help? Can anyone help? Does anyone care? A blog without pictures is like a day without sunshine.

Let's Have It ...

I had a terribly embarrassing thing happen the other day and I thought it might be fun if we all gave up our most embarrassing moment. I am going to wait and see if everyone agrees to do this before I share, but the photo is a hint ...

have a great weekend!

I would have posted a picture of fun in the sun but my pictures are blocked by this amazing firewall we have at CCM.

You'll just have to imagine it. My plan is to leave for the lake tonight and sleep in tomorrow. Ginny will be up and we will have other company in the afternoon. But the important activity is seadoing. Love it!!!

Be safe, you-all. Love you very much. Glad this week is over. 6912 is pretty empty and clean.