I'm baaaaaaccckkkkk

So I just got back from Paris this morning. My plane left Paris at 8:25 am and got into New York at 10:25 am but I had already had two meals. Isn't that wild? No matter how much I travel I never cease to be amused by that.

It was a great trip. We went to the Auvergne, which is not a very well-known region of France. The best parts were the unplanned bits. For instance, our local representative had a friend in Vichy (you know, home of the mineral water and former home base for the Petain government during World War II -- they're not too proud of that last part). Anyway, this lady actually hung out with our press group just to be nice -- she even invited one of the journalists into her home for a drink. We also met this guy in Herisson, a tiny town next to a tiny river, the name of which means "hedgehog" (could you die from how cute that is?). His name was Mr. Balthazar and he makes MOONSHINE. He doesn't speak a word of English but he makes what he calls "straight whisky". He's a retired stage actor who learned how to make moonshine from a visiting musician friend of his from North Carolina. So he makes this whisky and puts it in little bottles and sells it from a little shop in town that is only open on weekends. He was the cutest, crusty old guy, complete with cigar and fedora, that you ever saw. His girlfriend takes his whisky and makes flavored liqueurs out it in the storefront next to his. Even though it was a Wednesday they both opened their shops and let us buy their whiskey and hung out with us and talked to us. Only three of us in the group spoke French but it didn't seem to make a difference -- the others had a great time with both Balthazar in Herisson and Jacqueline in Vichy. As a representative for the French tourist office, people like these two make my job so much easier. The French are really misunderstood. Just like anywhere else, if you go out to the country you meet nice country people. And these people were awesome.

If you are ever in that part of the world, do me a favor and stay at my new friend's Alain and Monique's B&B, Domaine de Gaudon. They don't speak English either but trust me, it won't matter. They're freaking awesome.

So now I'm back. My suitcase is so much heavier than when I left but I have no idea why. I think I accidentally packed a French midget in there and just forgot about it. He must be dead by now.

I forgot to put an away message on my cell phone, and just to prove that no one listens when I talk, there were several messages from people who were told I was leaving the country. One of them was told several times but her paraonid little mind still left me three messages asking if I was avoiding her. Awwww.

It's noon in New York but its like 6:00 at night for me now and all I want to do is go to sleep. Call me tomorrow, 'kay? Unless anyone is going out or something. Then call me today.