I really miss it

(this single picture is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream)

Paris, that is. I miss everything about it. Well, everything except the missing our return flight part. Wait, I take that back. I miss the missing the flight part, too. I even miss the "stupid American" moments. I miss the people, the food, the history, the art, the music, the scenery, the river, the lights, the wine, the everything. The whole week was just MT & me. No work, no cell phones, no email, no distractions. It was better than we thought it could be. It was a whole week of just "us time". Us time doing things that were completely brand new to both of us. It was magic, it really was.



One week really changed my perspective on things. I have made a resolution to change the way I work and even a bit about the way I live. It's been less than 2 & 1/2 weeks since we came back, but in so many ways it feels like a lot longer. The most noticeable to me is that my stress level is way lower than it was before we left. You'd think that coming back to a high pressure job would make my stress skyrocket, but it's just the opposite thanks to that little resolution I made. I resolved to work differently - smarter, not harder. What a corny HT catch phrase, right?

But... it's working. I told myself that it's not fair to me or to MT that I get home at 8 or 9 from the office and it takes until the time I go to bed for me to unwind from the day at work. Not fair. Not healthy. Not the way I want to live. I'm not my own boss, I don't own the business, therefore I shouldn't work myself to death at the ripe, old age of 29 for this job. I do a great job while I'm there... and then I go home. If the project falls to shit in the end it's not because I didn't do a good job. Case closed.

As far as the resolution for living goes it's a little of this, a little of that. It's a lot to do with eating, I must say. I'm off soda completely. I drink way less coffee - and only the good kind. I enjoy everything I put in my mouth. I savor each bite, I don't eat & run anymore. And since I savor every bite I've been making sure the bites are pretty high quality. I've been walking even more than usual, and I'm a New Yorker - walking's what I do! Very simple things that are making a big difference.

I really miss it.

We spent almost an hour on top of Notre Dame just looking at the city from the vantage point of the gargoyles. Gorgeous.


Pere la Chaise cemetery. Spooooky. Beautiful, but spooky. This is the mausoleum. Well, this is MT in front of the mausoleum. Sort of a stalkerazzi shot. I love the way the sky looks.


One of MT's do-or-die Parisien goals was to stand at Trocadero Square and have someone take our picture where Hitler stood looking so pleased with himself after his general presented Paris to him on a silver platter. A bit of a "fuck off" to Hitler, really. I think it turned out splendidly. We had a very nice American couple take our picture... and then we ate ice cream. Stawberry/vanilla swirl. Delicieux. I bet that douchebag, Hitler, didn't have any ice cream.




This one's just for Sandra.