Hola amigos!! Well I’ve made it through 6 real estate classes and Halloween successfully. I say that deserves a thumbs up. Halloween was GREAT! I was an Indian and had to dress up on 3 separate occasions, 2 parties and once at work.  But it was sooo much fun! And we looked fantastic.

We saw the Ghastly Dreadfuls again this Halloween and it was virtually the same as last year except they changed one scene at the very end. During one of the scenes, the actors started dancing and playing some kind of Mexican samba song and a guy puts his hand out to me to dance on stage with them! I shook my butt and danced with the troop (with the help of a little liquid courage) while J cracked up in the audience. It was hilarious and the best time!  I really love that show.

A few cell phone pics from the show… One of the band and another shot I thought was cool of this creepy rocking horse on stage during intermission.

I have some really good pics at home (I’m at work now), some involving me passed out drunk on an air mattress, another Indian, Santa, Demon Lady and a black lab.    Fun fun!  I MAY post one of those… we’ll see.

So we’re almost half way through our real estate course, Thanksgiving is coming up soon and everything’s going good. I’m a very lucky girl. Just hope the outsourcing Gods are kind to me and I can keep my job a lil’ longer… See ya later!

Today I start my real estate classes and I’m really eager to see what it’s all about. It’s gonna be 3 days a week for the next 6 weeks and I’m sure it’s not gonna be easy while working a full time job, but I’ll survive. There are some people who forge through degrees in college while working full time so I just have to remember that I actually have it easy compared to some.

The real estate market isn’t that hot right now but it might be a great time for me to learn and there are a lot of first time home buyers with that new Obama incentive. I think more so than anything though, it will make me feel more secure knowing that I have another small notch to place on my knowledge belt.

There are so many fun things coming up in the next week or two, I love this time of year! Lots of changes and Halloween is just right around the corner + all the parties that come with it. I have my costume all picked out and ready to go. I’ll have to post some pics of it afterwards… for now, it’s a secret. Well I’m off to work. Wish me luck and see you soon.

My poem for the fall…

Sweet Cascade

Fall lends us a fresh death
It rids us of all the summers’ weeds
They fall slowly to the ground

But as they die
Autumn shines brightly through eager eyes
And for a short time, nature reveals her weakness
Her strengths

 In a colorful eulogy, she glows
So many witness the last moments
As the beauty falls to the ground

 She’s gone
But not for long
Sure to live again!
Although she’ll never be as magnificent
As she was towards her end.

Dear Diary,

 Today I got my period and cried over little Jimmy holding hands with Amy.  :P

 Happy effing Birthday to me!  I’m now too old; 26 years to be exact, and am ready for the old folks home.  My birthday was last Saturday and it was a great one but for some reason, I did not like turning 26 at all.  It bothered me.  None of the others have too much…  I did have a fun day though.  Woke up late, was served breakfast in bed (Waffle House bacon, egg & cheese – my favorite!) played racquet ball, went shopping (got the cutest Guess dress), dinner and then out to the bars with my girl.  I haven’t done my “crazy” birthday activity yet, which I plan on doing hopefully in the next month or so.  Last year I promised myself I’d have to do one height related activity each year on my b-day to help me get over my fear.  I want to go hang gliding.  There’s a company at Lookout Mountain, GA that will take you up (I think around 2,000 feet) with a small single engine plane and let you glide down with an instructor.  It’s about $150 and as soon as I have it, I’m going!  

 I imagine that will be pretty terrifying but an amazing view.  AND the best part is that they take pictures up there, so I can share my experience with the world.  It’d be nice if I could take my own camera but I doubt that will happen.  

 Here’s my very best friend and I in Little 5 Points, Star Bar.  We partied like rockstars and my car wasn’t towed thank goodness.  All in all, I had a wonderful day.  Bye 25, I will miss you something terrible! 

p.s. If the Universe is finite, I will see you again.

While conversing with friends the other night, I learned of a poem called “How Did you Die?”  I’ve never heard of the author Edmund Vance Cooke but I really enjoyed this.  Here it is…

Did you tackle that trouble that came your way

With a resolute heart and cheerful?

Or hide your face from the light of day

With a craven soul and fearful?

Oh, a trouble’s a ton, or a trouble’s an ounce,

Or a trouble is what you make it.

And it isn’t the fact that you’re hurt that counts,

But only how did you take it?

You are beaten to earth? Well, well, what’s that?

Come up with a smiling face.

It’s nothing against you to fall down flat,

But to lie there — that’s disgrace.

The harder you’re thrown, why the higher you bounce;

Be proud of your blackened eye!

It isn’t the fact that you’re licked that counts;

It’s how did you fight and why?

And though you be done to death, what then?

If you battled the best you could;

If you played your part in the world of men,

Why, the Critic will call it good.

Death comes with a crawl, or comes with a pounce,

And whether he’s slow or spry,

It isn’t the fact that you’re dead that counts,

But only, how did you die?

I just returned from the BEST vacation of my life!  Let me tell you, it was amazing.  Words can’t describe the time I had but I will try my hardest for you…

I initially had from Tuesday September 12^th – Friday September 15^th to enjoy the city.  Not nearly enough time!  So, I missed my flight on Friday and was able to extend until Tuesday of the following week and I’m so glad I did.  My flight was from Atlanta, to Chicago, Germany and finally France.  Which I enjoyed seeing each and every airport.  Most people would complain of the layovers but to me, it was another learning experience.   They rode bikes in the German airport, how cool is that?  And there were lots of windmills in Germany.  How could I have learned that without my layover?

I arrived in France at around 5pm Tuesday and headed towards the cabs.  Recalling the movie “Taken” I was scared to death of all the cabbies and told one particular shady cab driver “no thanks” after he directed me to an elevator with some other tall, 6’5 character that was smoking a cigar.  I went back out to the cab area and found another guy whom seemed legit and got a ride from the airport to my hotel.

The ride was amazing!!  The interstate, signs, cars, people, everything was so different.  Cars were whizzing by, in between lanes!  Mopeds too!  I’m surprised I didn’t witness someone getting smashed.  They were all very much in a rush to get where they were going.  The cars were all very compact and I don’t recall seeing one pickup truck and just a few SUVs.  It was something else riding down an interstate, with two strangers, not knowing their language or where exactly you are going.  All I knew is that I was in Paris and was about to have the best experience of my life. 

Upon exiting the interstate, the first thing I noticed is that all the buildings are older – no new pop up office buildings or rows of subdivisions.  Everything looked so romantic and original.  My cabbie dropped me off by my hotel and I drug my enormous pink bag towards a tiny sign that read “Hotel Nord.”  I was terrified at this point!  Praying that the front desk lady would understand me, I inquired “do you speak English?”  She laughs and says, “par lay voo Francais?”  I just shook my head, no and giggled back.  She then started to speak in almost perfect English; I believe she had a British accent.  She checked me in, gave me my key and instructed me on where to go.

I get in a TINY elevator, about the width of a medium sized bookcase (I could barely squeeze in this thing with my giant pink bag) and press the button to the top floor.  I take my key and enter.  I’m astonished at this little room.  It is not at all what I expected!  Twin beds pushed together, strange toilet I didn’t know how to flush, even the knobs on the sink were different than in the U.S. but I now had a place to lay my head and shower.  Thank goodness!  I called my mom, a little scared still and explained to her how the room was.  She just laughed and told me to be careful.  I unpack very few things and decide it’s time to go explore!

I knew I had to meet J at the Eiffel Tower at 8 and I left the room around 6ish.  I walked for about 30 minutes and couldn’t see the Eiffel Tower from anywhere so decided to hail a cab.  I had spent 55 of my 80 Euro on my airport ride so I showed the next taxi driver my 15 and he nodded his head and agreed.   On the way he cussed in French, shook his fist at other taxi’s and almost ran down 2 pedestrians.  I thought wow, what a way to begin the first day.  He got me to the Eiffel tower and I bid him farewell! 

My heart skipped a beat when I first beheld that amazing work of architecture.  It was much larger than I had ever imagined it to be and there were so many people gathered under this beautiful creature.  Yes, she had taken a life form of her own!  I felt like I was dreaming as I strolled along under it.  I walked and thought and walked and thought, “am I really here?!”  I felt dizzy so I headed for a nearby bench, feeling something wet splatter on my pants I look down to notice a pigeon had gifted me with his white stain.  Laughing about it I thought, “hmmm… welcome to France Lindsey!”  I sat on the bench and stared for about 15 minutes and then walked the little strip behind the Eiffel Tower to get a broader view of it. 

After returning from my walk, I stole a post at the base of the tower, the front left base.  I sat on a stoop with a Spanish girl awaiting my bah-cooh to come along.  Boy was it good to see him!  A friendly face in a new and strange place.  We immediately headed for the top.  The view was breath taking and I will never forget that moment for as long as I live.  I felt as if I were on top of the World.

I won’t go into this much detail about my entire trip as I would like to keep some of my experiences private but I will tell a few…

Pigalle is a fun area!  All pigs go to Pigalle…
The Louvre is truly gorgeous and the building itself, to me, was the most amazing work of art.  Amongst the Mona Lisa and Venus Di Milo. 
Escargot isn’t half bad!  Neither are frog legs.  Duck pate sucks!  Twizzlers rule! And chocolate monsters.
Notre Dame gave me chills, Sacre Coeur had a prettier view though.
LOVED Versaille, city & the palace
Never, never, never accidentally leave a book bag w/ laptop + $600 camera inside on a bench as you wave goodbye from a train.  You may not have a bah-cooh to get it back for you!
Get fruit and croissants for breakfast.  Best strawberries I’ve ever tasted!
Mont Marte is one of the best sections, in my opinion
Bring warm, stylish clothes!!!
The metro (subway system) will start to suck after a week but it is nice to have & cheap
Stay at least a week, if not longer.  It would be a shame to have to cancel a flight and stay longer

And I’ll never forget Evelyn from Maine.  I met her in Washington and she had a heart of gold.  She had just returned from a 6 week vacation in Germany, her husband had passed away 5 years ago and she was 80 years old.  What an inspiration!!  She didn’t complain about her journey a bit, she was just eager to have someone to listen to her story.  Her best piece of advice was LIVE, cause you only get to do it once.  And I did.

I present to you, Paris!

Versaille Palace - The hall of mirrors

Me at the entrance to the Louvre

Drunken Serb that sketched my portrait - whilst enjoying wine

Our frog legs & wine

Bar hopping, France style!

The window panes told the stories of the bible

At Cafe Richards enjoying a fine cup of coffee and listenting to music

The beauty by day...

And in the blink of an eye *POOF* She was gone...

A little girl sits and stares out at an open sea
She observes a bright red sailboat and ponders, why can’t that be me?

Sailing over frothy waves, it appears to be so free
Please let the wind catch those sails and send it over to me
Then maybe I could ride that boat, that’s sailing so happily

 It paused only for a moment, so she jumped on eagerly
The little girl got to ride that sailboat and for a moment she too was free

Made it safely back from Paris… didn’t want to come home. I’m gonna post some pics soon and journal about the events of the trip. Can’t wait to share my experience!!

So I’m opening a celebratory bottle of wine in preparation for my big  trip and the strangest thing happens.  I’m using this “wine bottle opener mechanism thingy” which by the way, I prefer just a normal, old school opener.  Anyways, this blasted thing pushed the cork DOWN into the bottle and sprays red wine all over me.  Great.  Now I smell like a wino, which isn’t too far from the truth and my wine is corky. 

I thought only champagne shot out like that once you opened a bottle.  Apparently wine does too, if the cork goes down!

So I spent about 10 minutes picking small bits and pieces of cork from my wine that I was so looking forward to sipping after a stressful day.  And I’m pretty sure I’ve swallowed about 5-8 small pieces…

I don’t think cork will harm you if digested, will it? 

God, I hope my plane doesn’t go down tomorrow.  It will be awful embarrassing to have my last blog post be about me spewing red wine all over myself in a drunken stupor.

This Friday has been great. And for the most simple reasons. I awoke, cozy, warm and well rested to the sounds of the heavens opening up and lightening crackling through the sky. A little sad at first because I knew it’s the last normal morning J and I would have for an entire month. But the thought of waking up in Paris quickly cheered me up again. I decided to take my time coming in to work since the roads were so messy and stopped off to get breakfast – which I never allow myself. Nothing better than a chicken & biscuit with an ice cold coca-cola.

Work was steady and before I knew it lunch had rolled around. I decided to visit Borders and start my newest book, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and enjoyed that for an hour. After leaving Borders, I purchased some lottery tickets (which I never play, let’s hope I win!! I think it’s over $300 million) and was complimented by the cashier at the store that I did not look American, rather European and had the most beautiful smile. After that I returned to work where I had a delicious piece of Johnny’s Pizza waiting for me. This nice older gentleman had decided that I needed to eat more so he was thoughtful enough to bring me a slice, which I thought very nice of him.

All the while it’s dreary outside and everyone’s kinda sleepy, I feel wonderful. I’m buzzing on my Seattle’s Best, on a Friday afternoon, with a belly full of pizza. And I’m really looking forward to the Redbull soapbox race tomorrow. Sometimes life does throw you a good hand, even on rainy days.