La Vie en Rose

The universe has been sending me signals today. Does that ever happen to you?
Allow me to explain:

A few months ago, the movie "French Kiss" was on cable (and I watched it) for the umpteenth time. It's got wonderful scenes of France and several songs in French (listen here), including actor Kevin Kline singing "La Mer (The Sea)" in French! Okay, he won't win any Grammy awards. Who knew he could sing, let alone in French?!

After watching the movie, I decided that I absolutely HAD to have the soundtrack. On the hunt over the next few weeks, I swept into every music store I passed (including one in NY with Firecracker), but no luck.

DUH! I got online at Amazon.com and found it, but the brain surgeons at Amazon found a way to screw up my credit card purchase several times over the course of a week or two, so I cancelled the order.

Not to be daunted, I logged into BestBuy.com and found the soundtrack and instantly ordered it. And then the waiting game...

Yesterday, the CD arrived, but I was too busy at home to listen to it. I brought it to work and decided that we would have French music at my German office. (I've practically memorized it by now, but no, I can't sing along...yet.)

On the way to the office this morning, I grabbed my latest travel magazine and the cover story was on Provence (in the south of France). Descriptions of the beach at St. Tropez, the magnificent cheeses and the gorgeous scenery inspired me to daydream about my annual birthday trip.

For some reason, I was trying to think of the French word for "please." After four years of high school French and one year in college, I was coming up blank. This was going to bug me!

When I got to work, I discovered (or remembered actually) that one of my coworkers is on vacation in Paris at this very moment!

I logged in and found a French-English dictionary online. Of course, the moment I called up the website, I remembered what I forgot.

Can someone tell me, s'il vous plait, how the weather is in the City of Lights in November??

Dinner with the King

The Lion King saga continues....I received an email from Lion King the other day, after I responded that we could be friends and dinner with a friend would be nice.

He wrote in all caps: OUR GATHERING AS FRIENDS. (Yeah, like I didn't remember that part.)

He suggested dinner at a Tai restaurant (his spelling- -Yes, I'm anal that way!). The dinner won't be until mid April, though, because he knows that I'm crazy busy this weekend.

How busy?

How's this: on Friday, I will be attending the Cubs home opener against the rat-bastard St. Louis Cardinals with FC2.

Afterwards, we will meet Firecracker for drinks somewhere in Wrigleyville. Unfortunately, I have to be home ridiculously early because on Saturday morning, I fly down to North Carolina for my friend's wedding. I'll fly back on Sunday afternoon and meet up with the aforementioned gang for Sunday night's ESPN-televised Cubs game.

Yup, that's crazy busy!

Everybody please say a little prayer that none of my flights are delayed. If the arrival is delayed more than 1 or 2 hours, I'll miss the wedding. If the return is delayed the same amount of time, I'll miss the beginning of the Cubs game.

Oh, and while I'm splitting my weekend between Wrigley Field and North Carolina, my contractor will be installing my Brazilian Koa (tigerwood) floor! FINALLY!!!

I get tired just thinking about it.

Wanted: real fans

As most of you know, I'm a Cubs fan.

But unlike most Cubs fans, I do not hate the White Sox. Their fans? Maybe. But not the team. In fact, I was very happy for the South Side team when they won the World Series last year.

Which brings me to this year and the Sox' season-opening series against the Cleveland Indians. All the pomp and circumstance, the wild and crazy cheering warmed the night as White Sox fans showed up in droves for the season opening festivities which included the unveiling of the 2005 World Series championship banner.

Sox win! Sox win! Sox win (after a 3-hour rain delay)!

Attendance: 38,802.

Today, the White Sox received their championship rings and gave out replicas of said rings to the first 20,000 fans who showed up. From what I hear, the ring ceremony was the envy of remote kingdoms across the globe.

Sox lose! Sox lose! Sox lose.

Attendance: 37,591.

Tomorrow, the White Sox will wrap up the series with the Indians at The Cell. The Sox will finish their first home series as the defending champions, handing out trophy replicas to the first 20,000 faithful to go through the turnstiles. The chest-pounding will continue for one more day in front of the no-longer-suffering White Sox fans!

Here's the sad but true kicker...



THERE ARE STILL TICKETS AVAILABLE!