Archive for March, 2007

Elle peut parler francais!

Monday, March 5th, 2007

You could see how proud Kaitlyn’s teacher was of her this morning. After weeks of trying to get Kaitlyn to say “bonjour” she finally did.

                    I wonder if this will open the floodgates and mean I soon won’t be able to understand Kaitlyn because she’s speaking French… that’s ok, then she can translate for me.

Does a Bruin pee in the woods?

Sunday, March 4th, 2007

Hikes in the woods would be better if there were bathrooms around. Preferably clean ones.

                    Today the sun finally came out after days of rain and we knew we had to get out of the house; Bill suggested we try yet again to find the waterfall he is determined to find. We know it is somewhere along the Route du Chamrousse. We have tried two other times. I was certain the third time would be the charm.

                    It was warm at the house, so I just grabbed a light jacket as an afterthought. I put Kaitlyn in a light jacket. I could have used a reminder that we would be driving up the mountain then walking into a shady part of the woods. It was a wee bit cold. There were still a few determined piles of snow clinging to the sides of the path. To make things worse, we’d been walking for all of about two minutes when I realized I had to go to the bathroom. I had gone just before leaving the house to try to avoid just such a dilemma. Apparently, that second cup of coffee this morning was just kicking in.

                    So we walked. And the farther we walked, the more I could think about nothing but having to go to the bathroom. Eventually we could hear what sounded like a waterfall. It did not help my situation. Finally we came to a part of the path that had a little spot off to the side. I’m sure I’m not the first person to take advantage of it. (this is France, after all)

                    Then Kaitlyn had to go. I noticed she was wiggling around uncontrollably on a rock while eating a snack. So we stripped her from the waist down and Bill tried to hold her up. She managed to pee all over the place (which is why we stripped her). Ah, nature.

                    We never did find that waterfall.

ISE Winter Dinner

Saturday, March 3rd, 2007

I am trying to be better at picking the battles I fight with Kaitlyn. So tonight when we needed to get her dressed and out the door to drop her off at someone’s house on our way to the ISE winter dinner, what she wore was not going to slow me down. I do a fine job of going slow enough without any help. Earlier today I let Kaitlyn play dress up with one of Bill’s shirts. Tonight, that was what she wanted to wear again. So we sort of compromised. Kaitlyn arrived at her “party” wearing one of my polo shirts, a Winne the Pooh scarf, sandals and a big, pink floppy hat. But she was happy, so what difference did it make?

                The dinner was at a banquet hall on a farm. As we walked up we could definitely smell farm smells. Bill pointed out he was glad we weren’t eating there in the summer when all the doors would be open.. and the smell would waft in.

                Along with the aroma, there was a sommelier and a string trio. (or was it three-fourths of a quartet?)

                The sommelier set up a blind wine tasting for us. He had us divide into groups of six or so, for a “competition.” Now, I don’t know much about wine. Even those who spend a lot of time and money buying and drinking wine had to find the challenge, well, pretty darn challenging! He started with two white wines to compare. We basically had to (as a team) guess what kind of grape it was, which of the two wines was younger, what year the vintage was. Then came two reds, chosen he said to go with the main course, which was duck. Then one red by itself with the cheese course. Then a white dessert wine. (which was gross) Our group didn’t win. But I may have found another way to learn more about wines. The sommelier does have a business where you can sign up to get two wines a month that come complete with an explanation of where they are from, what to serve them with and when best to drink them (year, not time of day).

                There was a lot of hubub going on just outside the dining room. Finally, Bill went over to find out what all the fuss was about. The lunar eclipse. I eventually gave in and went out to look. To me, it just looked like the moon with gray clouds over it.

                We called it a night right after the wine contest winners were announced; we didn’t stay to even find out if there was a coffee course. (it is, of course, it’s own course in France) That was at about 12:30. Kaitlyn was still awake when we went to pick her up. At least she was lying on the couch in the dark pretending like she might doze off.

au Cabinet Medicale

Friday, March 2nd, 2007

Taking Kaitlyn to the doctor a couple of weeks ago may have been nerve wracking, but going today for myself turned me into a nervous wreck. I felt sick to my stomach and thirsty and sweaty and close to a total panic.

                When I called to make the appointment I hadn’t expected to get in so soon… I just called YESTERDAY. The doctor herself answered her phone and when I started out by saying I need an appointment but don’t speak French very well (my standard line on the phone) she said I could speak English. Then when I told her she’d been recommended to me she said “because I speak English?” Like it was a bad thing. I almost didn’t go because of that. But, then again, she does speak it…

                The office is inside what looks like an apartment or condo building. The outside of the building has three name plaques on it, one for each doctor in the practice. My appointment was for 2:30 and I realized staring at the sign that I was the first appointment after lunch. I also realized it was only 2:15 (I’d actually gotten somewhere early because I was so nervous) so I figured I’d mill around outside in the drizzle. I also figured that was why when I hit the buzzer to open the door to the building, it didn’t work. I found out at 2:29 when I hit the buzzer again, I just hadn’t held it down long enough. It doesn’t seem to actually ring anybody, it just unlocks the door. But you have to be quick to get your finger off the button and jump to the door and push it open. (not pull.. another mistake I made the first go-around)

                Ok, so once I’m in the building I followed the signs to “cabinet medical.” That door said to buzz and go on in (I’m pretty sure), so that is what I did. When I stepped inside I immediately realized I had no idea where to go next. Before I had to figure it out, a woman stepped into the hallway area and said “Madame Radeline?” Ah, the good doctor is on time. Already her bedside manners in person beat those she had on the phone.

                We went in and sat down at her desk to talk about why I was there. And do I have a Carte Vitale? (national insurance card) No. I’ll pay. Well, then, gotta type my information into the computer. I was still too nervous to spell my name or give my address in French. But when she heard the street name, she said “in St Martin d’Uriage? You are my parents’ neighbors.” I knew exactly which house is theirs by her description… because I’ve heard it before. A couple other Cat families go to the same church as they do and had told me about a couple on my street made up of a French man and an American woman. I just haven’t spent enough time attempting to hike up and down our street to run into them. Which house is mine? Oh, yes, yes, the one across the street from the donkey. At least I have a landmark to use.

                Once the paperwork was over the discussion about my health got started. I say I need a check up. In France, it’s not done every year. Well, funny, my doctors in the U.S. all treated me to an annual probe. Ok, fine. But do I want to do it without a Carte Vitale? Yes, yes, I’ll pay. She spent a great deal of time flipping through her giant book of French prescription drugs and consulting with a colleague trying to find something most compatible to my current medication. Then she flipped through it to find something for my new complaint (migraines).

                Finally, the dreaded moment could be put off no longer. The actual exam. The exam table and all the instruments were simply on the other side of the room from her desk. She left to go get something she needed and when she came back I’d managed to take off my shoes. You see, the room doesn’t include any paper robe or blanket. They don’t seem like much till you don’t get any at all. Awkward. She told me it’s a cultural difference; the French are just that much more at ease with themselves. At least the room wasn’t cold.

                Once I was back in my clothes she wrote the prescriptions, including one for the lab. It turns out that in France, you take your own sample.. whatever it might be… to the lab. Her bill was a whopping 21 Euros. I found the lab and paid that 14 Euro bill. (although I wrote the number 40 by mistake. I’ve got to review my numbers apparently)

                She wants me to get my cholesterol checked; it’s a good idea, she says. That means giving blood in a foreign language. I wonder if I can find someone who’ll go with me to translate: I faint when I give blood, I need to be lying down, and, oh, my veins don’t cooperate. Or maybe I’ll just try to watch how much butter I use.