OMG Can you believe its been almost a month since I've written???? Bad Eric bad Eric!

I don't even know where the month has gone. Its been work work work (and nothing too exciting to share even) and only now at the end of the month does it feel like things are slowing down a bit.

So this week mother came out for a visit to see the new place. I have been forbidden from placing a photo of her on the web (she's a private person after all) so you'll have to make due with some touristy photos. We visited the Air Force Memorial and the 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon. Both memorials are simple and serene. I especially like the bench design of the Pentagon memorial, as it invites you to sit at the bench of your loved one...

Paris... First Class..... International.....

I'm much more upbeat than my last post. True to form I went off to work and "got over it". I listened to an old, fat man complain about me not showing the correct inflight movie (September movies were programed into the CD-Rom 3 days early) and that had me laughing. He just sat there in his (first class mind you) seat with a scowl on his face. Life is too short!

I got back from L.A. on Saturday and then turned around and flew to Paris on Sunday (not before having a nice brunch with my new friend David). The stars were aligned - I got to trade a San Diego trip for Paris -and- had enough seniority on the crew to work First Class!

I love getting to sit up at the front of the plane!



First class is a 6 course affair with appetizers, soup, salad, entree, cheese and ice cream sundaes. Though it isn't as glamorous as it used to be (no caviar.. no carving a roast in the aisle.. no bouquets of roses...) it still beats coach! I worked with a fun gal named Sharon who indulged my photography of food carts.




Doesn't that cheese look good? Yum!

We got to Paris, and after a nap I headed over to BHV, a department store with a huge selection of door knobs, drawer pulls, a lumbershop in the basement (in Paris!) and everything else you could ever want for your kitchen, livingroom, bathroom or closet. After two hours I came out with a new vase for the living room.

After a quick jaunt by Notre Dame




I hopped the Metro back to the hotel



for wine, cheese and pate in the crew lounge (we were put to shame by the Delta crews who had a veritable tapas bar set up in the kitchen).



and then it was off to dinner with about half the crew at a creperie near the hotel.



I've been experimenting with the settings on my camera (in lieu of reading the instructions). It has several night and slow shutter modes to use ambient light to some very interesting results:



We walked up to the Eiffel Tower for the 11pm twinkling light show for more photos. I've included a sampling for your edification.







And then it was off to bed.

If work was always like this maybe I'd want to stick around for awhile.

I hit the gym on the way home and then picked up Elsa. She's going to stay with me for a few days. Right now she's driving me crazy. She is trying to sit in my lap as I type! Its a good thing she's so cute.