moimoi.

I've been tagged. *a meme*I feel so 18 again. La Belette Rouge is my first. my one and only. tagger, that is. us women of a certain age don't have many firsts left in life, so merci beacoup my love!

here goes. might take a while, memory's foggy.

1. Where was I ten years ago?

Hmmmm......1998. I was in Oakland (OakTOWN baybee). I had been living in the first house I ever bought on my own ... for about 2 years. I was gazing less and less at the open beams and imagining how easy it would be to take a rope and disappear from them. It was less than a year since I took my very first trip to France (winter of 1997). My beautiful daughter turned 18 that year. I loved a man who has never been able to love me like I need to be loved. I worked as part of the corporate machine. Upwardly mobile, they'd say. My dreams of houses in France commenced. I planted lavender and roses and chamomile, puttering, nesting and auction bidding.

2. What is on my to-do list today?

well, it is midnightish. ummm. yesterday's list included french class and donning a silly see-through coverall, and painting the walls of my new(ish) chambre with Jean-Yves. I tried to come up with an answer to his question ... "Do I believe every person has one love in their life? a soulmate so to speak..."?

Tomorrow, I breakfast with my friend Christie before she departs for Paris. I plan to spend several hours studying...so I don't feel guilty on Sunday when I attend the crawfish festival with Marjo.

yep. my lists are shorter these days. and still remain kind of unfinished.

3. What if I was a billionaire?

hmmmmm. judging from other's responses to this question, this amount of money makes one untouchable. it buys kidnappings and other crimes. hmmm again. who would I kidnap? back to ya on that one.

I would retire my debts, our store's debts, my son and daughter's debts. I'd buy a flat in Paris and maybe Uruguay. I'd start a non-profit fund similar to Kiva. I'd fly many friends here and then hug them and serve them wine.

How funny, I can't really think of anything outlandish I'd need to do right away. Maybe I'd tuck away some dinero for future "work" so to speak. My life would be comprised of lots of travelling.

4. Five places I've lived.

Oakland, CA. holla to my homies! I love Oakland, I raised 2 fanfuckingtastic people in Oakland, murder capital of the west (blah) and I wouldn't trade anything for it.

Berkeley, CA. berserkely is cool, love the bungalows and wild gardens and freakazoid birkenstock wearers and bleeding heart liberals and intelligentsia.

New York, NY. i wish i'd of lived there when I actually had some money and could live where I wanted. but it was an experience and because of it, when I return, I know all the cool places to be.

Portland, OR. green. art. music. food. style. island in a sea of riffraff rednecks.

Brantome, France. historique. magnifique. trop uniquement.


5. Bad habits.

Not removing makeup at night. Quelle horreur!

Overanalyzing, worrying and obsessing. about fricking everything.

Listening to the voices in my head.


TAGGEES:

1. Utah Savage
2. Amy Rigby (you can do it when you return)
3. randall graves LM
4. notre vie juteuse
5. artful kisser


well. that is as self-revealing as I care to be. toodles.