You sure do have a lot of hands.

Barb

Indeed. It's a southern thing. We're HANDY.

BWAHAHAHA

Paris?

Definitely Paris. Maybe Phildar will be on sale.

Sounds like the perfect bit of extra excitement to keep the vacation from being boring.

Oh, I'm guessin' Paris .... and I'm requesting a Drive-By-Drool, if'n you could for me please? I was just there about a month or so ago and fell in lust with a HottieHot French bartender named Guillome. He's at the Le Reservoir club on Rue de la Forge Royale. So if you could stop in and drool for me I'd appreciate it. I'm having withdrawals!

Pictures here....http://frapgirl.blogspot.com/2005/10/random-photos-from-paris.html

(who me?? A Stalker?? What makes you say that??? :))

Seriously. And if you could bring him back with ya in your luggage, that'd be great. Thanks!

Well, let's hope your parents don't read the blog, because it's all too clear what CITY ON FIRE you have chosen to visit. :)

Yeah, we watch BBC World News. We know.

oooo have fun in paris!

P.S. You may have a very good point. This may be the time to catch a cheap flight to DeGalle(sp?). Just bring chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers, and you are good to go!

How soon are you planning to go? You know how those crazy French people are. If you aren't going for a while, the riot and looting and general disarray may have settled. They aren't really known for their stick-to-it'iveness (huh?) and eventually they will have to go back to not caring about anything.

Hey, Mr. & Mrs. Laurie's Folks, Jennifer and I will be out gallavanting around some foriegn country in a city that is ON FIRE! You can send my key lime pie to Nancy, Orland Park, IL. Yummyyummyyumyum!

Woo, as long as you don't rent a car while you're there, or ride on public transport through any of the slums, you should be okay.

I lived through the Paris riots of 1986, and the worst that happened was that the striking students that were squatting in the university buildings wouldn't let me in to my classes without seeing some form of ID. And since the French government took over three months to issue me my student card, I had to tell them to shove it. In French. So riots will expand your vocabulary.

Well, there was that cute guy I met... he offered me a brick as he and the other demonstrators marched past.

Dear CrazyAP, I have only been reading your blog for about two weeks and always want to reply to each one of them. I look forward to reading your postings as much as I look forward to the next episode of Weeds on cable. I don't think that I could offer a greater compliment than that! You are a super cool chickie!

heheh LOL @ Nancy!

We're not going for many, many months. Jen's spring break isn't until March. But! As fast as the damn year is passing, hopefully vacation will be here before we know it.

Tell your parents: Most of the rioting is in the poorer areas around Paris. Staying inside the main circle of Paris, you'll be fine. Keep up to date by looking at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/, they've been including a riot map at the end of their stories. Paris is wonderful and must be experienced! With a little pre-trip research, you can have a very safe trip there - and watch out for pickpockets on the Champs Elysees :)

definitely paris -- excellent idea!!! there's no better place to go with your girlfriends.

as for kristy's comment about the french not being known for their stick-to-it'iveness? the french have been around for 2000 years. how's that for stick-to-it'iveness?

Ooh la la. Sexy, sweaty French firemen. Go get 'em, gorgeous!

Personally, I would skip Paris, on fire or not and go to Italy. I Loves my Italy or if you want cheap lodging, and food (the best beef, wine and chocolate)Argentina is amazing! Bariloche is my favorite and men are gorgeous too!

keep me posted by the way -- my brother lives in paris

Ah, I'm jealous! Highly recommend st germain des pres in the undisclosed location. The BEST cafe's for picking up firemen! Also, we found out it helps ALOT if you lie and just tell them you're Canadian..For some reason they're much nicer to you-who knew?!!!!

actually you also don't have to pretend you're canadian.

you just have to remember to be polite.

I had the greatest time, despite what everyone said about the French hating americans. And I don't speak French (but I *tried*!) Just avoid the public bathrooms at the Versailles train station and you'll be okay. :) I'm so jealous, mon petit chou-chou!

YAY YAY YAY! I love Paris. I'm GOING to Paris in December. Are you AWARE of the wine opportunities in France? Have you SEEN how cute the firemen are? If you need help planning I have a gazilliamillion info files on restaurants, hotels, learning the language, getting lost in the louvre, etc. OMG I'm so excited for you. And don't believe any "oh they hate americans" crap you hear, cause it's crap. utter crap. and lies. and propaganda. let me know if you need help planning.

I say go. I love taking vacations that I tell my parents about after the fact.

Years ago I had planned a trip to London with a friend. A few days before we left, there was an IRA bombing at a tube station. My friend told her mother, "Mom, even though the train station is called London Bridge it really isn't in London." I pointed out to her that the station in question was only a couple of stops over from where one of our friends lived. She said that her mother didn't need to know that though.

OK. So fire is possibly worse but then again it's an adventure. Besides you were the one to point out the firemen thing. Firemen have a way of making everything OK.

I'd say more but now I must extricate kitten claws from my shoulder.

This will be my fourth trip to Undisclosed City ... I have never had any issue anywhere with folks and their alleged dislike of Americans, becasude my mama raised me right and I have good manners. But! I have never traveled there without my soon-to-be-ex husband, so this trip will be a whole new world for me! Very exciting!

plus! the cheese! oh man how I love me a stinky cheese1

I like the way you think. So cute. The 'no line at Starbucks' was perfection.

And honey, you're Southern. You are the epitome of polite. No worries.

and here are the firemen!!!

http://parisdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2005/10/firemen-joggers.html

and if that don't get you to Paris, nothing will!

notice my stellar typing there

Have I mentioned I am a two-finger typist? well. I am.

Italy! Italy! Venice! Venice! One trillion times more romantic than paris and oh! The Food! The Coffee! And - the men! Much, much hotter. I mean, how awesome would a fireman on a gondola be? Come 'on! Paris? No way - go Venice!

On my first trip to Paris it rained the entire time I was there. Buckets and buckets of rain. My tip is buy tickets to one of those get on, get off red tour busses. You can buy them on the bus I think. They stop at all of the main attractions. They are good for 2-3 days and you can get off, have lunch, meet a fireman, run from the rioting hoards, get back on and your off to the next touristy destination all for about $28 euros, (cheaper than cabs) if I remember correctly. Plus your feet will thank you after day two.

OOooo, I meant that as a joke..didn't know I touched a nerve!
Parisian's are lovely to Americans, as all of ya'll that have been there know!

No worries Lesli!!

Those firemen are HOT, Grace!! mmmmmm... le firemen.....

someone up in those comments said "sweaty french firemen" and then made a sound effect that insinuated pleasure.

WRONG!

this couldn't be more wrong. wrong. wrong. wrong.

i need a bath just thinking about it.

Oh Lesli hon. I didn't mean you. I don't even read the other posts before I type mine which is probably why I repeat so much and sound like a moron. I meant the people in day to day that think they know anything. Each time I've gone to Paris I've been lectured by some "expert" (expert idiot maybe?" who's never even set foot nor wineglass in the country telling me that they will burn my little american self at the stake like a witch. so no nerves from you. :)

Aw man...I wanna go! Never been and it's one of my dream vacations. Sigh. I have to agree with those of you who have never noticed the "french hate americans" thing. I have had several friends from France and met many other French people and they are some of the nicest, kindest people I have ever met.

Any animosity is probably directed toward our president...and well, can you blame them?

Hey Laurie,

Four trips is one up on me so you probably don't need any help planning. but if you do, just email me or give me a call. I can talk about Paris for hours on end until you're in a coma.

and Venice firemen? speedboats. how sexy is THAT? Italy also rocks.

Maryse, I didn't mean that in an insulting way. I love Paris. I would go back in a heartbeat if/when I have the money/opportunity.

Of course you're polite! To anyone raised in the South (or by a Southerner or both), being rude is pretty much the worse offense on the planet. Southerners will put up with a polite armed bank robber better than a rude jaywalker. So I'm not surprised you don't have trouble in Undisclosed CiParisty.

(When I watch movies and someone shoots someone else I frequently exclaim indignantly, "Well that's just RUDE!")

I was in Paris last August and it was Love at first site. The people were wonderful, the sites, the food, the shopping - oooohhhh I wanna go back. We stayed at an apart'otel in Mont Marte and every morning I got to go out shopping for fresh fruit, cheese, croissants - heaven.

Have fun
Oh an really cute fireman!

Oh! Grace! I always need suggestions and help -- ya'll have SEEN my vacation pics. Me and Mr. X did the same old same old every time. Ate at the same places (pizza or McDonald's ... OH MY GOD) and stayed at the same place and all this time still never went to the Louvre!!

I need all kinds of help and suggestions! This will be my first time let loose on Undisclosed City! And I have an awesome partner in crime who has never been there!!

laurie, kristy, lesli

sorry i got pissy. my parents are french, i lived in france as a kid, and my family still lives there now. i think i've gotten a little sensitive.

Lesli's right about the Canadian thing - we just got back like a month ago and it was pretty incredible the difference in attitudes... but Paris was *awesome* - be prepared to spend lots of time sitting in cafes people watching, smoking cigarettes (we have a if you're not in the country it doesn't count rule) and drinking fabulous inexpensive red wine!

maryse, do not worry! wait until you hear me butcher some french language... then you won't know from offensive!! Ever heard French spoken with a cracker twang? luuuuvely. hehehehehehehe

I am in such a good mood! Boss is not around! Rain in Los Angeles means half my office called in sick! And I am going to Undisclosed City!

mmmm....firemen...

One thing I really want to do is knit in public. But I think I am more nervous about that than I would be just sitting in a cafe nekkid. Because maybe I am crazy. But this will be my first-ever vacation as a knitter. Must see yarn shops. And maybe knit at a cafe table? Maybe?

It's good to know I'm not the only one with parents that think they can order me to do things even though I'm on the verge of my 30's. I think my mother threatened to write me out of the will once when I mentioned getting a motorcycle.

Definitely book the trip now and hope the ashes are cool by the time of the trip. Otherwise I would suggest Italy. I heard it's a great vacation spot.

Dear Laurie's Parents,

The communities with the pretty fires are OUTSIDE Paris. In LA terms, a little problem in Gardena or Santa Monica would not make you worried about Laurie working downtonwn, right? Mainly you should make sure Laurie takes a calculator so she does not have to do the maths in French to figure out how much lovely French yarn to buy at the fun knitting stores.

Go to the Caron store. They sell perfume that you can't get over here anymore (my favorite, Poivre), and it's MUCH cheaper there, and good quality, and they put it into beautiful little bottles from a big VAT.

You should email Kate Gilbert, Needles on Fire - she lived there for a long time - she just moved to Canada. She knows the good yarn places.

I don't know if Jen told you, but our trips are going to be overlapping by a couple of days! And even though I've never met you, blahblahblah - this means MASS WINE CONSUMPTION, which due to the fact that we'll be in Paris, means it's automatically a cultural activity.

Even more cultural if you swig from bottles in public, because you can't do that in the US>

Ahhhh.... Paris is on the list of places to go, along with Ireland, Italy, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Argentina, Morocco.... I just can't decide where to go first!

Gloria!! I am so excited to meet you!! We must meet and drink wine ahead of time in... uh... preparation of our trip. Because preparation is the key to success!!

Memorize this phrase before you go:
Bonjour, j'adore des pompiers. Veuillez m'acheter un boisson?

My "ex" MIL (though I didn't divorce HER and we're rather good friends and going to Ireland in May...) is in Germany for 2 weeks and then heading for a city CURRENTLY ON FIRE for one...as I'm hoping all will be done and gone and pretty for her, I would expect it will be all better for your trip as well.

Hmmm ... everyone's saying Paris .. by the description, I thought you meant Newark ..

I hear that's nice, too ..

-

Can you take knitting needles on a plane?

LOL! Laurie - your comment on French spoken with cracker twang reminded me of my high school French teacher who was from The South. I have heard French spoken with a cracker twang...it's just too damn hilarious.

Laurie, the Marais section (3me) of Paris is wonderful. It's where I always stay when I go. Just remember to say 'Bonjour' to the shop assistants / waiters etc and they will be polite in return.

Enjoy your trip.

Laurie said, "Me and Mr. X did the same old same old every time. Ate at the same places (pizza or McDonald's ... OH MY GOD) and stayed at the same place and all this time still never went to the Louvre!!"

Ho-leee cow you are so much better off without this loser!

Have a fabulous trip -- I can't wait to see pictures!

Ahh, so envious. I haven't been to paris in 7 years! I know you've been to Paris many times, but did you ever visit the Rex Cinema? They have a crazy water show before the film. It's definitely worth a visit. http://www.silverscreens.com/rex_en.html

You MUST do Le Marché Aux Puces de Saint-Ouen (a.k.a. Paris' giant flea market, Sat-Sun-Mon only), but go VERY EARLY, like right when it opens at 9 am. Otherwise it is too crowded. It is awesome!

And I'm gussin' Mr. X didn't feel like going to any yarn stores. You and Jen could spend days just searching the back streets for the perfect yarnage!

Ah, gay Paris!
If you came a bit south and like west for your vacation, we will probably be on fire too! The long range forecast is for a HOT summer. We've already discovered the hot bit...it didn't even rain on my birthday and I even got to sweat!

Okay, I give up, where are you going on vacation?

Laurie!!!

My BESTEST Friend in the world!! (Ok, i actually have two who are tied for bestest friend) Is In France right now!! Will be there until April!!! He is in Orleans. (Oh, the irony) And this is his third time there. and you both would *LOVE LOVE LOVE* Him! and he'd Love you! Truly! and would meet up with you and show you around and EVERYTHING! I can hook y'all up with each other! He's the greatest, honest! And he'd do fun stuff like shopping and sight seeing and touristy stuff and drinking and clubbing and eating out... you name it... *AND*... ready for the best part??? You don't have to worry about 'ok, but is he gonna be creepy trying to hit on me guy?' because, while you and jen are checking out cute guys with cute butts.... so will he *GRIN*

Let me know if you want me to have you guys swap email addresses and chat and stuff before you two go over there. He could be a very fun and helpful tour guide. and, i know YOU don't know him, but honestly, i'd give my life for him. He's that close to me. I love him that much. i can't brag about him enough.

*Hugs*

S

Ooh! Don't worry, the city/suburb conflict does not apply to people from LA, which has much less strife in its suburbs... lately.

Key phrases: Firemen = "Les pompiers" (lay pom-PYAY)

Help! = "au secours!" (oh s'COOhrs)

I am on fire!... Well, better not. The French have a funny way of mixing up "I'm hot" and "I'm burning" with "I'm a hottie" and "I'm in heat." (Though if you say the latter they'll find you very amusing and tell the next American they see all about it. That's how I heard the story...)

This is awesome! Already we are learning where the cute firemen and the cute bartenders are, and how to lure them in with the appropriate phrases! Thank you, Laurie's readers!

The one thing I can totally recommend is the Centre Pompidou, which is my favorite of the museums. But at some point before you go, I'll make the boy draw up a list of suggestions, since he's spent many more months there than I have. And no McDonald's! Just go in to marvel at the fact that they serve beer, then hurry away!

If you've ever spent a week in Philly, you can take France. Give me a burning France any day! (as long as I can still get a strong cup of coffee)

its freezing, cloudy, and dampy.

okay maybe 40F something isnt freezing.. but for socal peeps it is.

a lil fire to warm it up doesnt hurt.

haha true that on McDonalds.. i wanted Root Beer, the lady kept handing me beer. Plus, paying 8 Euro for a combo meal was killing me.

oh btw its really a shame whats going on there. the bad intergration and all, ja.

deploy the troops already.

Please promise me you will not eat pizza or McDonalds the entire time you are in Paris this time!!!!!!!!!! Thank goodness that goateed toad is a goner.

The food is so good there. When I went we would eat at the bakeries all day, croissant after croissant then dress up in fabulous cloths and have a fashionably late dinner at 10 pm. That is the life. The best part was that we didn’t gain a pound because of all the walking.

Hey Laurie,

I thought you'd get a kick out of this article on Lewis Black joining the Weather Channel:
http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/entnews/ap/20051108/113149926000.html

Surely it won't still be on fire in January! Please God! Do you and Jennifer speak any of the On Fire language? I can read and write it, but speaking it is right out of the question, I'm terrible at it. If I went to On Fire, I'd have to pretend to be deaf and mute, and communicate with a little notepad.

the city on fire right now....last time I went to the city on fire right now (other than the layover last September when our plane sucked a canard into the engine outside MY window and we all thought we'd die as we slowly circled over the effiel tower (sp?) and montmatre (sp?) back to the airport, when the stewardess assured me after we landed it was fine and that it happened all the time even though the pilots were outside MY window taking photos of the engine on their cell phones...apart from that trip) I had a wonderful romantic weekend with a contrabass jazz musician and didn't sleep while he showed me the city on fire right now...sigh

Laurie - have fun - my rule on vacation is NO restaurants that I can find in America. (OK, I did Mc D's in tokyo once) - and sometimes I just ask the waiter to bring me his favorite (I'm a pretty brave eater though). It's always served me well.

sounds like your vacation plans go a lot like mine (well, the BF is a bit more of a timid traveler than me, so we've had to skip a few trips for him) it was going to be Bali, but they had a tsunami days before we got tickets, then New Orleans was suggested, and now Argentina, but then our president went - I promise there were no plans for Paris this year though, so that one's not my fault!

Ok-you asked for it-recommendations galore:

Hotel: L'Hotel De Academie in the heart of Saint Germain des-pres (It's on Rue des Saints-Peres) Very cozy, clean and quaintly pretty-small boutique hotel but close to everything

Wine Bar-Hello?!!-L'Ecluse Saint Michel
Bakery-Gerard Mulot on Rue de seine

Best Cheap Restaurant-ok, this is a hole in the wall place thats big with the locals-we found out about it in Time Out Paris (great magazine if you're looking for off the beaten path stuff)-Le Petit StBenoit on rue Saint-Benoit)-dodgy looking but excellent service-cheap-cheap-cheap prices and incredible "real" french food! Loved it!
Expensive Restaurant: Tan Dinh on Rue de Verneuil. The wine steward and buyer here is rated number 5 in the World! Be prepared to get a second mortgage but Oh so good!
I hope that helps! Holler if you need any addresses or phone numbers to any of the above places. I'm still so jealous! You two are going to have sooo much fun!

I do believe I was in that exact {as yet undisclosed ;-)} location this spring. I was on a "educational" tour through our University and the guy leading the group is a top food critic. Much of the educational aspect consisted of learning just how much wine/food we could consume in one sitting.

I still have the list of restaurants we went to and I could pass it along if you'd like.

Liza {who really, really, really enjoyed her stay in the City On Fire}

What?! No Louvre! You are right, you need to return ex-less to see all that you missed but I highly suggest that you skip the Catacombs, soooo creepy...Have a baguette, a bottle of wine, a Gitane and a fireman for me!

Knitting needles on planes: Yes, currently, on domestic flights, (I do it all the time). But the TSA changes their rules based on the color of the terror alert, so check here: http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1252.xml, before you leave on your trip. For international flights - check with the airline, but from what I've heard/read, I think they're allowed, for the most part. Stick with bamboo or wood, (not metal), though.

Oohhhh, Lesli! I wholeheartedly agree with you about L'Hotel De Academie! I stayed there when I last visited the currently-but-hopefully-not-for-much-longer-on-fire-secret-vacation-city.

Frickin EIGHTY-TWO comments. Purl, if this doesn't convince you that you are highly regarded and widely read, then you're hopeless. :)

You're an adventurer. Its obviously somewhere in Afganistan. You're going to have a blast (yep, I'm punny). You have to try the Jalalabad Martini, its the bomb (ok, I'll stop). And on top of that, the Marshalls there has really cheap and well made burkas, so stock up (I hear they are made with Osama's Up Country yarn [see, I even read the knitting stuff you write]). There is going to be a serious american fashion trend for burkas with Uggs...you'll be light years ahead of Rodeo...trust me, if there's one thing I know its internal combustion engine repair...and fashion trends.

Do you speak French? If not, don't blindly follow Becca's advice.

As an unattached pretty blond American woman (with just a bit of meat on your bones), you will be hunted, hunted, hunted by all the Algerians, Morrocans and Turks. They should be finished rioting by then. Do not sit down anywhere alone. X was good for something perhaps.

(I was a 25-year-old, busty, brunette Canadian travelling solo 15 years ago. Paris. Urk.)

Also, given your bathroom phobias, plan your stops so that they periodically include nice places with fine marble facilities. Run of the mill and street facilities in Paris just don't bear thinking about, even for the less dainty.

Wish I was going.

Oh, I feel your pain. I have a very rich fantasy life in which part of me actually dwells in the great City of Li...er...On Fire. I sit in cafe's drinking latte's and eating pastry with calorie counts that rival the national debt in number places.

My dream city is on fire. That does not make an eccentric, half-time fantasy living in the city resident happy.

I guess there's always Epcot Center...they finished refurbing their Eiffel tower and hopefully they haven't made it authentic enough to include the fires yet.

I think I'll go console myself by listening to Moulin Rouge again. I love you, Christian! Truth Love, Beauty, I love you all!

gosh, I haven't been to Paris for years...My hubby lived there (and worked there as an English Teacher) many years ago - he's old now (qu'elle surprise, eh?) , and skinny. Would you consider sneaking him into your luggage so he could make the trip without eating into his food money? He'd want to stay so you'd have plenty of room in your suitcases for the souveniers on the way home... And you'd have a built in interpreter!!

The vast majority of the riots are in the nasty suburbs--as a tourist, you won't go there...The more important thing is to take warm clothing, especially a warm coat.

I must admit, I stopped reading at about comment #50, but I must say, don't tell them you're Canadian. I love, love, love Paris, but as a displaced Quebecer, I have experience in Paris as a French Canadian. Most of us, when speaking en francais, have a Quebecois accent. This will get you WORSE treatment than any "Ugly American" behaviour you can muster. We're the bastard child they refuse to acknowledge. Not like I'm bitter, or anything.

Firemen. In case you want a domestic fix, I highly recommend Firehouse USA: Boston. It's my new favorite show. I Tivo it.

Question to ask your self is this....Would a news photographer be there if you dont see any and you are scared leave asap...this is advice from a pulitizer prize winning photographer I know so please be very very careful....

I can give you a GREAT DEAL on used BODY ARMOR...used once and never shot at. Well...never HIT me any way.
Have fun in Newark!!!

...P.S. You could also say "Bonjour! Je voudrais un bel pompier!"

are you popular or what? lol! I was sent here by Maria! I'll be back

Welcome to France! Cities on fire - well you can take your pick, but rest assured, the pickpocketers are all tied up with... ahem... other obligations at the moment. And, if it will make you/your parents feel any better, the entire cities don't tend to be on fire. In fact, it tends only to be the areas you wouldn't be frequenting as a tourist anyway. So, come on over, we'd be glad to have another American over here (though, I'm in the south, which you're not likely to be visiting - incidentally, a little yarn destination in the south: the Anny Blatt/Bouton d'Or factory outlet in Orange. Only about an hour or so away from the lovely non-burning Southern city of Montpellier - okay, maybe it's burning too now, but have you seen the really cool, space-age black and silver suits the firemen wear?).

Okay, I'm your parents age, and I will worry right along with them. I'd really rather you'd pick some other place. Why not explore somewhere you've never been?

i am going to paris next wednesday!! and my parents are having anxiety / heart / asthma attacks like you wouldn't believe. but here, show your parents this article! http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/07/travel/07parisweb.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1131635373-n20lXKkunZsXiK0ZcDVGmg
the nytimes wouldn't lie, and that article says you'll be fiiiiiiine :-)

You lucky girl... I sooooo need a vacation. I couldn't afford to travel to a bordering state, let alone a different country!

Hi... if you are heading off to France, please be careful. I have been there several times (work related) and can give you recommendations for Provence, but Paris is pretty nasty at night (in general) and well, now... Sigh. Marseilles is gorgeous and so is Corsica, but it's a "messy" region with a lot of strikes b/c of ferries and with unemployment so high (like 20%)... well, I have to say, I love Lyon, Marseilles, Avignon and Montpelier. Have fun... remember this phrase (said phoneticallY):
je sui canadienne.....

the canandian embassy will get you to the american one if you need it. :) don't ask me how I know... but I have a mom too and this one is my little secret!

I flew Air France in August straight to/from Paris. I didn't try knitting on the way there, but on the way back, I brought on circular metal needles and yarn. I was stopped on the way in, as they stopped every 1 in 8 or so - and the lady asked me what I was making. I told her and she was fine. So although technically, France's TSA specifically bans knitting needles on all flights, just like here, it seems to depend on the security. Have a blast in Paris!!!

It's my first time at your blog, and you are hilarious. I love that you wrote, "heart attack on a cracker" Have fun wherever you go.

Erm...so this is totally unrelated...but knowing that you watch Lost and so do many of the readers...

Was anyone else freaking out last night??

Where are you going....Amman?

Wow - I just have to say that you are a GREAT writer! I really enjoy your blog - so funny. I've had some good laughs. Your word choice is so perfect. And you have so many readers. I'm in awe.

Ooh Laurie! I just found your blog and love reading your stories!

I have to guess it's Paris as well! where are the pictures!??

:)