melvil and me

I love one-on-one time. It is my favorite, I think. Today, it was Melvil and me. We headed to the dentist, which is an all day event apparently in France (I will spare you the details of the insanely list of reasons why) and then lazily drove through the countryside admiring the sharp edges of the distant mountains. They looked as though someone had taken a saw and sliced pieces of rock from the whole, leaving pointed, jagged slabs for all to stare at in awe.

We made it back to centre ville (Aix) and headed to the Musée Granet to see the incredible exposition. The museum houses some of the most famous paintings of the French culture and offers a journey through the centuries in France. Melvil and I had such a blast admiring gallery after gallery. Most importantly, we laughed and told jokes, snapping illegal photos of the paintings when the guards were turned around.

Melvil is such a genuinely sweet young man. But, he reminds me so much of myself. For instance, he always wants life to be fair, to be right. At the same time, he wants to win. He wants to be the best and to be the star of the show, so he sometimes feels overwhelmed and exhausted when he loses or when he falls short of perfection. He is cursed with the disease of perfection, a disease that haunts me all too often. It is a thorn that eternally pricks my soul, wanting so badly to pierce my confidence. The key is to use it to my advantage. I am in the midst of uncovering the most effective way to combat myself. My stay in France is the perfect stage on which I can practice. I am away from mainstream society here and, most importantly, away from all distractions. It is so true that quality time is the best kind of time, and I loved every minute of today.

Per the usual now, I did cook dinner again. I must admit that my level of expertise in the kitchen has risen at least 3-fold in just the past 6 weeks. And, because I am a kinesthetic learner, the hands-on experience is perfect for me. I am writing all of the brilliant French recipes down so that I can share them with you, don't you worry.

The night is a simple cool, just an every slight wave of wind floating in the air. It's enough to refresh the skin, but not nearly enough to be considered breeze. Laetitia is busy in the kitchen preparing vegetables for tomorrow, the Melvil has decided to camp on the terrace, Domino is reading stories aloud (as best a 2-year old can) in her room, and Milan has decided to take a foot file to his callused boney feet. I am thrilled for tomorrow's adventure to the zoo with the kids. It is sure to be the best adventure with them yet. And, tomorrow night, I will have the pleasure of meeting the 85-year old dame who lives at the top of the mountain, next to us. She never leaves her house, but tomorrow she will dine with us on the terrace, and I will have the once-in-a-lifetime pleasure of hearing her story. More good things are certainly in store for me. He's got me...in both hands.