Some Friday thoughts…

Can a brother get some cheddar cheese? I find this same problem in Israel. In American you have all kinds of cheese…Grade A CHEESE! Cheddar, American, Muenster, Provolone, Mozzarella, Gouda, Smoked Gouda, Smoked Cheddar, Colby, Pepper jack, Colby-Jack…you get the idea. Here they have two. You can have mozzarella or you can have yellow, and you better like it. Damn. It would even take it as a grand gesture to package the same cheese but make it different color for crying out loud!

Tour de France flag: So I was doing my typical tourist shopping that I do every town I go to, that would be a postcard and a shot glass. It keeps costs down. Anyway, I was looking around Paris last weekend (which I will post about once I get my computer back to put pictures up) for something Tour de France, because I am quite the fan. If I was in Europe for the last stage of the tour I would be ALL OVER going to the Champps Elysee in Paris for the end. Anyway, I was hoping for a poster or post-card or something. I did find some cool shirts, but for the 20-30 Euro range (that’s 30-45 dollars). So I looked around and finally really found a gem. I got this wicked-cool Yellow tour de France flag that now adorns the wall of my room. 7 Euros. Not bad at all. I’ll post a picture of it later.


Basketball against Dirk [girls can probably skip this one, except Allison...i know becky won't want to read this one]: So every other day I’ve been playing street ball with these German guys on the court behind my place. The first couple days were a series of one on one games. I trashed him in the first game, he beat me in the second. It’s a weird game. He’s much longer and taller than I, but likes to take jumpshots, and I still can’t drive on him too much unless I fade away. For the basketball doctors out there, I think I know how to play him. He’s a crazy dibbler so its tempting to go for the steal and he takes advantage of me that way. I guess I just need to play him straight up though. I haven’t found anyone who can consistently handle me in the post though. Me and my German friend Max beat the other two Germans yesterday in a grueling two hour game. If I was going to camp after this, I might be a force to be reckoned with.

Picture Shopping: Now grocery shopping is always an experience. First of all, there are slightly different cultural foods, so when you look for what you want, its not always a sure thing that you’ll even find it. They have HUGE chocolate and wine sections by the way. Anyway, my food vocabulary is getting good. Fromage is cheese, champigons are mushrooms, you know. This knowledge takes you most of the way, but for many things you have to trust that the manufacturer chose appropriate pictures for the cover. I know i’m getting mushrooms, but with all the other words and the weird pictures, is it the cream of mushroom soup I desire? Is it mushroom paste? Mushroom casserole? Mushroom juice? You never know.

The Final Countdown: Okay, it’s on. I’m making a mean stir fry next week with pineapples as the top-chef special ingredient. It will be delicious. Here is what the countdown is though. Last time I bought a pineapple, but this time I bought canned. The clock starts now – 7 days to figure out how to open the can. I could buy a can opener. I say that because I know someone was going to suggest it. I WILL NOT. I won’t waste the money. I promise you it will cost $7-8. Ideas? Challenges?

I am keeping clippings from the French newspapers when they talk about the Wings in the Stanley Cup or about the Pistons. I’m sure somebody (A-ron) will find them fascinating. I’ll take this opportunity to remind folks that all must be watchful for A-ronisms this summer. I cannot keep up my duty, of course. I am nervous until I get my computer back because I don’t have this years saved anywhere else. I’ll not make that mistake next time. Much love.