Calling the Hogs…Paris style!

We just knew our fellow Arkansans would be so proud that we found a place to call those Hogs…in Le Louvre!  Lots of people were taking their photo with this big guy, but we have no idea what it is called or the importance–we just thought it was Porkchop! Bon Appetit!

Woooooo....Pig Sooie!

Hit that line. Hit that line. Keep on going…run that ball right down the field.  Give a cheer (go Hogs).  Never fear (go Hogs).  Arkansas will never yield.  On your toes little piggies, to the finish.  And carry on with all your might.  For it’s AaRkanSas for Arkansas…fight, fight, fight!

Le Louvre…

We went. We saw.  We conquered 2/3 of it. 

Let me tell you that Le Louvre is MASSIVE and we could only handle about 4 hours of 17th, 18th, and 19th century “Grandma Art”.  Don’t get me wrong, I took many years of art lessons from Mrs. Ironside, so I can appreciate the detail, time and talent involved in each and every one of those paintings.  I also got a D (which was a small miracle to be honest)  in my college pottery class, so I can REALLY respect those sculptures.  I never really carved anything out of marble or granite, but I can imagine that is a task.  BUT, that doesn’t change the fact that it just wasn’t my style.  I don’t understand why everyone was naked all of the time, no one smiled,  everyone loved everyone (kinda like 1960’s hippies).  Oh, and just because they make it larger than life, doesn’t make it better.  Bigger is not always better.  Most of the time…but not always.

One of many rooms of art--it was exhausting!

Giant bird bath (I don't think that was the official name for it).

This was just one courtyard in the middle...notice: very huge.

Probably my favorite. We will call it "Going to Heaven with a halo"

Where's Julie? I have never felt so tiny...I considered bringing it home with me.

Daniel's favorite: "The Winged Victory of Samothrace"

The Dying Slave by Michelangelo (notice: nudity)

St. Mary Magdalene (notice: more nudity.)

"Venus de Milo" aka: Aphrodite (and, again, naked.)

Napoleon's old digs...not too shabby!

The line to meet Mona Lisa

Kickin' it with Mona.

Now, this is about the point that I took over camera duty.  Notice a different style? 

KAAAAWWWW!

Profiles.

"Psyche and Cupid" by Casanova (obviously needed to show the love)!

A camel for my Dad (I know how much you love them)!

This is wrong on so many levels: 1) they are sisters and 2)...well...you see. "Gabrielle d'Estrees and her Sister"

The single, solitary piece of artwork that I would display in my home.

Bon Appetit!

Boredom in a Train Station…

This post has NO significant meaning.  In fact, you might be wasting your precious time to read it, but here is what happens when Mr. and Mrs. Barnett are bored in the metro station.  Suddenly, we are totally hot models with nothing better to do than make sexy, pouty faces for the camera.  Just another reason Danielle (as they call him here) and I are total dorkapotamuses!  Bon Appetit!

He is HILARIOUS as you can see!

Never again will I wear heels in Paris, France!

Art. For a limited time: I will not charge a fee if you want to print this portrait and hang it on your wall!

This one will be $2.99 per download. Sorry...it's TOO good.

What a stud!

Very cool photography, don't you think?

And VOGUE!

And pose. And pose. And pose.

This is simply annoyed. Annoyed because the entire train station was empty and these folks decided to sit with me...the model! Geez.

See?  Don’t you feel like you wasted 3 minutes of your life?  Sorry about that!  Ha ha!

This just in…

Turns out…I DID zoom in on the topless mascot at rugby.  You are all so welcome!  C’mon, I had to post this, otherwise you really wouldn’t believe it to be true.  I forgot to mention the fact that they painted her bronze from head to toe!  She looks like a life-size Oscar Award…Enjoy (or should I say Bon Appetit)!

Rugby or Bust…

What do you think of when you think “rugby”?  Well, if you are anything like me, you think big, burly, bearded men clobbering the hell out of each other.  That thought is, in part, true.  However, Stade Paris (the Paris Rugby team), is all of that AND much more. 

Let’s discuss their outfits.  Normally, Daniel would lecture me and say “they are uniforms, not outfits”, but in this case…they are very much OUTFITS!  They wear pink leopard skin shirts, with a giant lily on the left side (pink lily I should mention), and hot pink, tight shorts.  Outfits, right?!  It is probably one of the more humorous antics I have seen here in France.  Big, burly sissy boys!  I am pretty sure the fans are embarrassed and that is why they all wear shirts that say “Pink is not Dead”…..?

 

Oh, and when you see the pink carpet below…please know that a topless woman prances down that pretty pink carpet at every single home game–kinda like the team mascot!  I am sure most American men would like to have a mascot like that!  My camera’s zoom wasn’t that good or I would prove it. 

The French….they are so weird!

Told you.

No, it is not the Susan G. Komen breast cancer walk...it's rugby!

Go Paris!

Yup...pink goal posts!

Roll out the pink carpet? The topless mascot is on the float!

I felt like I was at the "Girly Superbowl"

Hello Boys! Where is your PINK?

I really did have pink on...it was just buried!

Bon Appetit!

GRAY is the only word for it…

Typical weather right now in ol' Paris. Jealous?

Bon Appetit!

Snow Bunnies…

Last weekend, we skied the Alps.  Well, Daniel skied the Alps and I tumbled down the Alps.  Either way, it was a great trip and great scenery.  I think the photos pretty much speak for themselves.  It is Wednesday and I am still having trouble moving around.  Geez, ya hit 3-0 and you can’t handle a little snowplowing down the side of a mountain! 

OK, I can’t let the photos do ALL of the talking…I have to give a little more a story than that.  This was my 2nd time to ever go skiing and I…quite literally….suck.  This is Daniel’s 3rd time to ever go skiing and he flies down the side of a mountain like he has done it his whole life.  AND, to top it off, he skis the really hard mountains too (Blacks for you experienced skiers).  He even did moguls.  Not fair!  But I can confirm that it is official–my favorite parts of skiing are the hats and vin chaud (hot wine)!  Bon App!

Here is the hotel that we stayed at. Collett was the "den mother" and was an absolute RIOT. I couldn't understand too much of what she was saying, but I was laughing my ass off at her!

This is how I would prefer to see my skies from now on...not on my body!

If I can't SKI the part, at least I needed my aviators to LOOK the part!

Lunch. About 1/2 way down my 1st (and only) blue slope. It took me approximately 3.5 hours to make it to the bottom. Daniel = 10 minutes and that is WITH lift time!

Pros...

Denis and Jeremy

Laurent and Laurence (not so sure on that spelling, but you get the idea)

Daniel took some great photos from higher up on the mountain. I never got this high to ACTUALLY see this. Looks pretty, huh?

I like to call this one "the edge of reason". This is right before Daniel headed down this "hill". Clearly...he had lost his reasoning skills!

I am guessing there were some nose bleeds up there!

Loser.

Another Loser.

Pretty sure they just came off a super steep black + moguls. Sorry I missed that one....NOT!

Meanwhile...back on the Ranch. Me + vin chaud.

Daniel came to his senses and decided to get in on the GOOD action! Cheers!

Day #2 Begins...

I DID take this one from the top of the mountain (please note: lawn chairs). Day #2 and I got smart--I took the lift to the TOP of the mountain AND right back down after lunch. Brilliant!

Obviously, I had to capture the moment. It isn't ever day that I am at the top of the French Alps and I certainly wasn't going to ski down them!

Not too many choices at the top of the mountain. Great lasagna and it was the size of my cranium!

 

Ahhhhh....and back down to the bunny slopes (and lounge) for me!

And for your viewing pleasure...a real athlete in the making!

Michelle Kwan and Brian Boitano…

You all should have seen the triple toe loop that Daniel Barnett (aka Brian Boitano) landed…it was amazing! 

Yeah right–it was all we could do to stay upright on the ice.  Although, I do have to give Dan-the-Man credit–he did turn around and skate backwards!  I was having flash backs to the Razorback Roller Ring in Rogers.  {sigh} Oh the days when skating backwards could determine whether he was “crush worthy”.  It turns out…he IS!

 As for me, I was bound and determined not to fall because of my fear of having my finger sliced off the second I go down.  I might have moved at a snail’s pace, but I did not fall!  Aside from Daniel’s little dare-devil move, we pretty much looked like this the whole time.  After about 45 minutes, we decided to call it a day and head back into the heat.

I look like something Dr. Suess chewed up and spit out!?

Action Shot #1--this is real life pace!

Go Brian...go Brian...go Brian!!!

  Bon Appetit and we will see you in the next Winter Olympics!

Christmas-Part Deux…

This post is delayed too, but better late than never, right.  This happened RIGHT before I headed back to the USA.

After 23 days stuck in French customs, a Christmas package arrived from Dad and Mom–what a freaking relief!

So, exactly 2 weeks after Christmas, Daniel and I celebrated Christmas Deux.  I could celebrate Christmas like this every 2 weeks–all year long!  Mom and Dad, go ahead and put the next round in the mail please.  Maybe it will be here by July!

We have been in constant contact with La Poste (French post office).  We had to email lists of what was in the box, how much each item was worth, assured them that we wouldn’t sell the items, etc, etc.  When I say that we were “in contact” with La Poste, what I meant to say is that we have been writing emails in French (OK, Jeremy has been writing emails in French) for about 3 weeks straight.  Finally, the package was approved!

So, 9AM on Saturday, we are laying in bed asleep and I hear our door buzzer.  I leaped up and screamed “Our package!”.  Daniel had no clue what was going on and no idea why I was trying to run out of the room (he is a little groggy when he first wakes up).  I say “trying” to run out of the bedroom because there was a blanket on the floor and I was getting NO WHERE!  It was such a cartoon moment.  I immediately buzzed the postman into the building.  Then, I realized: 1) I had no pants on and 2) I needed to find the key to even let the postman in.  Luckily, Daniel had snapped out of his stupor and was ready with pants and keys!  Quite honestly, I didn’t care if I did have to answer the door without pants–after all, this is FRANCE.  Long story short:  we FINALLY got the package. 

I would like to send  a thank you out to La Poste for 1) an extremely late package 2) letting us tell them all of our Christmas presents before we even got a chance to open them and 3) driving obnoxious yellow vans!  Geez…France!

Bon Appetit!

He is sad he can't play golf over here. Sorry babe! I am sure you won't be THAT bad by the time we get back!

Thank God for the small things...like TACO SEASONING!

Yes, it moves and it shakes and it sings!

Forgotten Post: Christmas Eve Mass at Notre Dame

It’s fine….Christmas was almost 2 months ago…

I didn’t even realize that I forgot to tell you that we went to Catholic Mass at Notre Dame on Christmas Eve.  No, we’re not Catholic, just curious.  It was beautiful.  The entire church was packed full (I mean, like sardines!) and in the middle of it all was an amazing choir (singing something Christmasy in French?).  And, the best part, they all looked like they were wearing Snuggies just like the one below.

So, one more time….Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Y’all!  I hope 2011 is treating you well so far.  Oh, and Bon Appetit of course!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bachelor David came too!

Gobs of people also thought this would be a good idea. And I thought it was just mine?!

Hark the Herald Choir Sings...fa la la la la la la la la....See what I mean with the blue Snuggies?!

Is any church complete without TV screens these days?