Many moons ago I convinced Ben to fly to Los Angeles with me to see Seventeen for a quick weekend getaway. We left the kids alone, gasp! It's so great that they are mature enough for these short trips. It turned out to be a snow day that Friday, so they got to stay at home despite from school and relax too! We got out of Denver before any flight delays and basked in the California sun.

Our hotel in Downtown LA was a curious 1970s design with round rooms arranged in separate towers. We dropped off our luggage and took a car to Santa Monica, arriving just as the sun set on the beach.

I wanted to visit the pier because there was supposed to be a Seventeen event. Some fans had won a lottery to see a performance. We didn't know the schedule when we tried peeking over the fence. Later when the video came out, it seems we had just missed the performance. Never mind though - Ben got a strange Japanese hot dog, we admired the Seventeen lights on the ferris wheel, and even got up close to the mascot Bongbongee! It was a thick frenzy of fans, so we quickly left after snapping a few pics. Then I took Ben to that great bibimbap restaurant I found the last time I was in LA with Amanda and Andy. Oh man, so delicious!! If only they would franchise in Colorado!! It turned out to be colder than expected in California, so I grabbed a couple sweaters from Uniqlo. Then we tested out the lightrail to get back to the hotel. Before bed I had one more destination - Salt & Straw for the most delectable vegan ice cream! The last time I ate it was in Seattle, walking back to the hotel in the rain at night. This time I insisted we sit inside so I could savor this rare treat!

Saturday we stepped out into the shiny sun to try explore some Korean/Japanese neighborhoods. The bus ditched us on the curb 10 minutes short of our destination, but we didn't mind walking the rest. One of the restaurants we missed on our Japan trip was CoCo Ichibanya, a popular curry chain. Ben was pleased to hear we could fill that void here. Koichi later confirmed from our pictures that it was exactly the same (except, I'm sure, for the unlimited soda fountain refills and inflated California prices). We walked to the main section of Koreatown to browse some K-pop music shops and get special Seventeen promotional bingsoo. I was absolutely stuffed, but we did our best to eat some of this mountain! Next we wanted to see the "Japantown" and Japanses temple gardens, but they were both kinda of bust. Our driver was wary of letting us off in the temple because it was right next to skid row and he didn't think we knew where we were going. The temple garden was very small and completely gated. The other garden marked on the map was a small museum patio, and it was locked for reserved event. We continued walking to Japantown and it was terrible! The crowds were the worst so far, shoulder-to-shoulder. Every shop was packed and mostly had chinese knock-offs of Japanese products. There was a Book-Off, that used goods store I enjoyed in Kyoto. This one was, logically, mostly goods common in the US. We tried to enjoy shopping but gave up. After a short rest at the hotel we popped out to Grand Central Market food hall that wasn't too far away. We both picked out some tasties to take back to our rooms. I tried another vegan ice cream place and it was disappointing and in a super sketchy neighborhood. LA is so WEIRD!!

Rested and fed, we dressed for the main event. I cosplayed as S.Coups in their Monster stage . Ben had a Hoshi shirt. We looked good :-D

We took the train to USC and walked to the stadium. Now the trouble began. To make a long story short, the concert was already delayed, then delayed again. The security line was crazy long and disorganized and probably a third of the audience was still in it when the show eventually started. Plus there was a stupid loud rave at the arena next to us, so I had to wear earplugs during our hours of waiting, and you could hear the thumping from inside after our show started too!! Fans were stressed and everyone was mad, so the vibes were off. That, plus our nosebleed seats, made this one of the less experiences I've had going to K-pop concerts. I'm definitely chasing arenas and splurging on better seats next time.

Despite all that, we settled in and the group put on a great show. They had their back-up dancers (I recognized a lot of them, ha!) and there were fireworks. They performed Monster and I was so happy (lots of fans recognized and complimented my outfit - and I wasn't the craziest costume by far). Incoming picture dump:

And one video:

All the delays made it a very late night. I grabbed Ben's hand and we sprinted to the last train of the night, sliding into our seat moments before it left. A good night's sleep, an uneventful flight home, and we came back to our kids safe and sound, their kind aunt having just delivered them with food.

Despite stadiums being terrible, I had a marvelous weekend with Ben. Looking back on these photos makes me want to go all over again!

Here are a collection of orchestra concerts the kids performed this year. Sorry I don't have song titles, some of them were so long ago!

First, this is Jack's December concert.

Sam was invited to perform with the Jeffco Honors Orchestra. He spent two days rehearsing and then played a concert. He did marvelously!

Next we have spring concerts! Sam performed recently with this 6th grade orchestra (it's a huge group!). Although it's unofficial, I noticed he was seated in the first cello chair!

Tonight I attend Jack's Spring Concert, I think his last performance with this group. He auditioned for next year already and made it to the top orchestra level! I think he will enjoy playing with an elite group next year.

I know, I'm terribly behind on journalling our family. I'm trying to catch up as quickly as I can, so here's a random assortment of photos from the past half year.

Highlights = lots of cello, some board games, roller skating, Jack baking a lot, my car got hit in a parking lot = easy repair and no injuries, but a lot of inconvenience and hassle. Christmas card photos, pre-Christmas trip to GJ, meeting Andy's new dog, Christmas break and gifts. Working New Year's eve, Ben's quiet birthday the next day. Seeing musicals at the DCPA, date night on a random free weekend, Outdoor Lab, archery, Jack getting contact lenses, Cheyanne Mountain Zoo, and costume parties with friends.

I declared to Ben that for my birthday this year I wanted to celebrating by going somewhere warm. After dismissing flights to Mexico, Florida, Texas, and California, I looked closer to home and decided on a local hot springs resort. Mt. Princeton Hot Springs was only a few hours drive from home, so we could make it a quick one night, 24 hour vacation.

Once again, we left the kids alone to fend for themselves, and once again, they had a snow day!

All the creek pictures are from the second day, when I brought my music and phone/camera. The first day we were still figuring out the options and etiquette. The creek was my favorite pool by far, but they had many different pools of different sizes, temperatures, age restrictions, and water content.

Jack played in the pit orchestra for their spring musical: Sweeney Todd. He did an amazing job with the difficult score by Sondheim. He grew so much as a musician due to the rigorous rehearsals and extended playing time. He also helped build the sets when he had spare time! The kid lived and breathed Sweeney Todd for several months!

Here's the ending outro that they played after bows - my only chance to sneak some live video without being totally uncouth!

Seriously, we are super impressed with Jack's dedication and improvement with his musical journey. What a kid!

This spring we completed a huge house project that I've been meaning to do literally since we moved in 12 years ago. Our master bathroom was dreadful. Skinny, mold-prone shower. Scalloped edge sink that was hard to clean. Woefully out of date brass fixtures with mauve and gray tiles. And CARPET. The house only had carpet in the basement theater room, spare room, and our bathroom! What the heck?

I spent weeks looking for a builder and many more weeks planning the new layout. Then many more weeks shopping for the endless list of items we'd need to complete the job. I'll skip over writing out all the details and obstacles I tackled in getting this remodel finished.

The minivan proved itself over and over again while I hauled materials to the house. I'm glad I decided to hire builders instead of DIY-ing it. This project was definitely above my skill-set.

Before pictures:

After pictures:

In the end, it took exactly one month (March 3 - April 3) with the builders from demolition to finish, plus another week or so for decorating/organizing. Although the room is not any larger, the layout if much more useful and the shower is a DREAM. Each day I use the shower I appreciate how blissfully beautiful and large it is.

It's a delight every time I enter the bathroom, even months later. Hoo-boy it was a lot of work of money. I'm glad we finally did it and also that it's finally over.

Springtime means theater! I wrapped on the middle school musical "Once Upon a Mattress." The kids did very well and there were not as much drama as in some other seasons. Working with the new Music Director was a delight. Amanda got us tiaras to celebrate!

The boys both had spring concerts with their orchestra classes. I fear that I'm so behind in blogging, I'm just going to dump the videos here for posterity without further description!

My parents took me and the boys, plus Amanda and Andy, on a glorious long weekend in New York City. There were many shows and museums and snacking. Jack really expanded his theater experience. The kids have both been to NYC before but say they hardly remember/don't remember at all. Now they have a head full of memories of the sights, smells, and strangeness of that great city. We had such a wonderful time!

I'm gonna make a huge picture dump and caption just a few things. I wish we had pooled all our photos before splitting up at the end. Alas!

DAY 1: Traveling, hotel, food near Grand Central

Day 2: Meeting with Amanda, Museum of Broadway, RiseNY Musem

More Day 2: Splitting up. Me to K-town, Jack and Amanda to Hamilton, me and Sam to Central Park

Day 3: All together now! Met Musem, Show, Show, Show

Day 4: Brunch, Shopping, Show, Dinner

Featuring Jack's Birthday, Gardens, and more Theater

We enjoyed listening to Jack perform with his summer group last night. It was a full symphony with piano, percussion, and wind - so refreshing after listening to strings-only orchestra for many years. I wish his school would offer a symphony option! This was a great way to stay in practice during the break.

I just got back from an amazing solo vacation! I have list of k-pop groups I want to see in concert and when Enhypen announced their latest US tour I grabbed a ticket. The best stop for my schedule and travel convenience turned out to be Houston. I've never been to Texas!! What better season than AUGUST, right? Also, Enhypen are heavily vampire themed, and the irony of seeing them in the sweltering heat was too funny! I didn't try to get a partner for this trip. I wanted to travel solo to see if I can enjoy myself (spoilers - yes I can!) and I wanted the freedom to book everything, including ticket price, to my own comfort and convenience.

Tuesday morning I finished packing, did some yoga, and packed a sack lunch before Ben dropped me off at the light rail station. This was my first time taking the train to the airport and it wasn't that bad!

Mom lovingly booked me a room at the Marriott Marquis downtown. The hotel was gorgeous and sparkly and just two blocks from the venue! But the cherry on top? They surprised me with an upgrade! I learned later that they put me in the Vice Presidential suite that normally costs almost $3000 a night! Insane. The room was incredible. I spread out and used every room. It felt a little wasted being alone in there, but it was so comfortable and luxurious even by myself. I spent so much time gazing out the windows at the amazing views. I had a perfect view of the concert venue. I arrived on Day 1 of the this tour stop, with my ticket for Day 2. I could see the fans lined up for the first night, and I watched them leave later too.

After unpacking I walked to the venue to scope out the plan for Day 2, and check the merch booth. I had my heart set on a certain keychain and was sad it was sold out. It was exciting to see fans though, and my lightband synchronized with the concert signal!

I walked to a foodcourt to see more of the town and grab dinner.

Not very tired, so I floated a lap around the Texas-shaped lazy river and gazed at the city from the whirlpool. Then I took a long shower, put on a face mask, and played online games. I watched the engenes (Enhypen fans) leave the venue and went to bed.

I woke early and had breakfast in the club lounge, then summoned a ride to the suburbs. There was a special pop-up shop at the Memorial City Mall! Only 2 of the 4 US stops got shops, so I felt I HAD to visit. Ben requested some juicy mall pics and I obliged. I arrived at the store 45 minutes before opening and the line wasn't long yet. Freebies were passed out. I was very sad that they were long sold out of that keychain and the employee suggested I come back next week. Boo! I bought a towel (I have a growing collection that I use in dance class) and stopped at Uniqlo down the hall.

Now, I could have called a ride to lunch, but the map showed it was only a 17 minute walk! I can do that! I ditched my cardy, whipped out my parasol and sunglasses, and swigged my water bottle. Ugh. It was a terrible walk along highways and between parking garages. But I made it!

Dude, this barbecue was SO GOOD. I got the brisket and a bunch of veggies, with okra being the big winner. I thought the bread looked dumb, but it was actually a ncie contrast with bites of meat. I had 3 refills of diet coke while I cooled off and chatted with my family. I definitely caught a few looks from the local patrons - it's mostly men 40s-60s, and none had brought their ita bag along!

Once again I had a choice - do I walk the 21 minutes to a shop with dairy-free ice cream? Or do I call a car? My feet were starting to blister, but I needed to walk-off this lunch before I'd have room for dessert - tally ho! This time the walk was mostly a windy sidewalk along the freeway. I made it to a pleasant outdoor mall with Jeni's Ice Cream, the same company that stocks overpriced pints in my local King Soopers. My store doesn't have dairy-free, but this one had two flavors and I got them both - Texas Sheet Cake and Lemon Bar. Both delicious! I savored the AC and watched birds struggle to steal a waffle chip.

I felt done with the suburbs and called a car back downtown. I had it drop me at the venue to check the merch booth one last time, even though it had opened a couple hours ago and surely was sold out of keychains. But NO! I got it!!! Seriously this made me so. happy. I loved the design and I finally got to give a blood transfusion the week prior to this trip. I used to give tranfusions regularly in dialysis. Despite 1 1/2 years at my new unit and many e-learning modules covering them, I hadn't needed to transfuse blood until just before this trip. Hooray!

I walked back to my hotel and slapped on more sunscreen before spending a blissful hour in the pool. I stretched my aching calves in the infinity pool and massaged my feet in the hot tub. I watched the security line get longer at the venue across the park. I laid on the deck lounger watching the low clouds bloom and sun rays spray down. My music playlist was peak even on shuffle mode. It was fantastic.

On the way down to the club lounge for a light dinner, I met some young engenes on the elevator. I shared in their excitement but gasped: you're going now? To stand in the sun for two hours?? They said they were nervous because they heard on twitter that someone waited an hour to get in. I showed them my photo from 7pm the night prior when you can easily walk in, no lines (the show was at 7:30). They said they just wanted to be ready, so I wished them well and to try to stay cool in the sun.

After a quick shower I dressed for the show (and gave up on making my hair look decent in Texas humidity). I reeeeelly didn't want to stand in the sun, so I watched Enhypen music videos while eating cake and monitoring the crowd. by 6:20 they had the line processed, so I went down and walked straight in!

It's late tonight and this is already a very long post. Part 2 coming soon!

Sam started 7th grade on Wednesday. The bus is crowded and uncomfortable, but he's happy with his classes! Before and after:

Jack started 10th grade today. He also disliked his commute - it was 95 degrees today, so even a short walk was very hot. But he's satisfied with most of his teachers and classmates so far. Before and after:

Here's to a great 2025-2026 year!

I waltzed into the venue - no waiting! Took some videos and selcas, and settled in for the show.

I love seeing everyone dress up for shows. If not merch/fan t-shirts, people like to dress up in the style of a music video. The pearls reference Bite Me and the gray knitwear is from Fatal Trouble (this girl was so cute!! She took the bus from Louisiana to get here). I saw several other Fatal Trouble girlies in the stands. The last two below are dressed like characters from the Kpop Demon Hunters movie. They had a line for photos at one point.

I took all my concert footage and made a vlog. Please enjoy! Turn on cc for titles and commentary. More photos below (they aren't as good as the video)

I safely walked back to my sparkling hotel with a pod of concert-goers. Eventually I made it to sleep.

My last morning I secured a late check-out and took it easy. Yoga, slow breakfast, some reading and games. I had an easy ride to the airport and walked straight through security. I enjoyed a live music performance and found another engene - we ended up chatting for almost half an hour! (She's super obsessed!)

Back in Denver, I took the train home and basked in the dry air. It's good to be home...but I had a really great time!! I can't think of another low stress vacation like this.

Oh, here's a bonus set of photos I took around Houston. Andy is so great at photographing location when he travels, I tried to find interesting sights like he would.

I also took a lot of elevator selfies because they each had different astronaut scenes that were fun to pose with.

Sam has turned 12 years old!!! He had a super fun party with his closest friends. Ben GM'd a role-playing game. I 3D-printed dice towers for everyone. They ate mac and cheese bread bowls and chicken drumsticks. Sam was pleased I turned his chocolate cake into a Portal Cake as a surprise (served with raspberry coulis made from my garden). The sleepover portion included the boys watching "nostalgic shows from our youth" on Netflix, hah! They are so old ;-)

Happy happy birthday, Sam! We're so proud of your growth every year! You're such a kind, cool guy.

It's been a busy fall! I need to share some stories and pictures before my next big adventure (spoilers: I'm flying to France tomorrow! Eeeep!)

Lots of garden and baking this season - I love to see it! Some date nights too, and some small celebrations and some big hurdles! I'll add captions below.

Our first concert of the school year was for Jack's high school orchestra. He's become such a strong player - he auditioned into the highest level class! I'm afraid I don't remember the names of these pieces, and I lost the program QR code. So just enjoy the vibes :-)

Stefanie and I have been pen pals since 1991. We wrote letters as kids, continuing as teens and young adults (but not as often). With email, and then remote friendships during the pandemic, we’ve gotten a lot closer over the last decade. We’ve often wished to meet in person. Today I’m making that dream come true! Stefanie is German and currently living in Pibrac, near Toulouse. We’re meeting today, and then embarking on a tour to Barcelona and Paris over the next ten days. I’m so nervous! Walking through the airports I keep catching myself think “what am I doing here? This is crazy!” So far the journey has been smooth. I’m writing this while waiting to board my connecting flight from Frankfurt to Toulouse. Pics of the journey:

Germany looks just like I remember from the window. The Frankfort airport is crowded. Wow, I have such poor German language comprehension! I assumed I could read a little but I’m totally relying on the English signs. I knit in the Lufthansa lounge with small snacks, then went out for a pretzel. Proud that I cobbled together my order “eine brezel mit butter, bitte” without using a translation app. Although now that I checked the app for spelling, I see my pronunciation was terrible! I wonder if I’ll pick up any more while visiting this German family?

They are boarding my last flight now, byee!

PS: TSA won’t let you take a can of pumpkin puree through. Darn it! Worth a shot.

and then we hugged and cried longer, and several more times throughout the day. 💜

What a day it has been! As you can see in the video below (thank you to the family for documenting!) we were giddy and emotionally overwhelmed to finally meet. We piled into their vans and sped through the winding streets to their nearby village. Here we exchanged gifts and I freshened up.

Back in the car, this time squeezing in a mini cooper, with some jokes about Florian living up to the German driver stereotype, we headed for the heart of Toulouse. We walked along the canal, window shopped, and talked and talked.

Then we all met up again at Le Bibet, a “very much typically French” restaurant where “all the Americans want to go.” It was, indeed, very French and very delicious. I managed to keep up with conversation and cream.

Afterward a night walk back to the car, with the city lit up for night. They told me there are a couple universities here and the later crowds skewed young. There was music playing and casual dance parties by the canal and the bars were packed. But none of that could compare with the thought of a hot shower and soft bed, where I find myself now. I hope I sleep deeply tonight.

Today was a cozy Sunday mostly at home with the family. I slept in very late and that helped my jet lag a great deal. We had an assortment of pastries from the bakery, along with German bread and muesli cereal. I made the mistake of calling a pastry “pain au chocolat” and was taught the three mistakes one can make in Toulouse: 1) call it pain au chocolat instead of the Southern term “chocolatine” 2) say that you like football better than rugby 3) say the word “Boeing.”

We drove to the Canal du Midi for a leisurely walk. Their labrador Valentine got too excited with another dog and slipped into the canal, but he can’t swim! So Florian slid down to retrieve him. Stefanie gave a hand to help bring them ashore and I almost thought she would need me to help pull them out too! I didn’t want to take pics to not appear mean or unhelpful, but Florian was laughing and said “did not one capture my heroics?” The rest of the walk was uneventful, but full of beautiful trees and large boats with names such as “La Boheme” and Le Present.”

Back to the house for the father and the dog to shower! Carl-Phillip and Vincent are in the table tennis club and were keen to play with me. They were very kind and let me fumble through volleys, eventually teaching me the proper serve and even some tricks with adding a spin. I didn’t completely humiliate myself! Vincent was just happy to have someone play with him longer, he is always the last to want to stop playing. Meanwhile Stef prepared a feast of Sunday lunch! Goulash with bread, potatoes, buttered leeks, zucchini, and green salad. We all went from hungry to stuffed!

Stef and I pulled out our itinerary and ticket printouts to discuss our travel plans, and she started packing for the trip. To walk off lunch they showed me the “little forest” in their neighborhood.

Stefanie had made a special German cheesecake for the weekend. It was delicious! Light and lemony, made with quark! They often discuss my lactose intolerance and what it is and how I deal with it, and then smack their forehead and apologize when they serve me dairy again and again 😅. She was over the moon to learn that I DO drink herbal tea and roobis. Apparently it was distressing that I said I didn’t drink any warm drinks like coffee or tea. By the time for dinner we were still full, so she made “a very easy simple dinner” of apples and cheese toast (another forehead snack). It was so flavorful, with creme fraiche, emmenthal, and ham. While she prepared I had a fun discussion with her kids about movies and shows they like. Sophie is a big fan of Gossip Girl and the Vampire Diaries. She said the popular shows at school right now are Culpa Nuestra and The Summer I Turned Pretty. Stef also recommended Machos Alfa. After dinner the kids were excited to watch an American movie (no subtitles so they can practice listening). They chose the Thursday Murder Club on Netflix (ok, so British 😉). Florian and I have read the book and Stefanie has started the book. We were surprised it had a different ending! Everyone liked it, it was better than I expected based on the trailer!

I planned to go to be an hour my ago but we got sidetracked by more memory sharing (the Christmas videos in 2019) and the boys wanted to know more about 3D printing. Now I really need to get to sleep for tomorrow Stefanie and I are going to Spain! 🇪🇸 Gute Nacht! Bonne nuit! Buenas noches!

We woke up to a wet, rainy morning. Stefanie made crepe batter and then handed the work to Carl-Phillipe, who provided a hearty breakfast! In a flurry of extra whipped corner driving (“with this Monday bank traffic”) we were delivered to the train station for our 4 hour journey to Spain. I enjoyed watching the scenery change. We had nice seats for the first trains but had to connect to a different train and lower class in Narbonne for the remainder of the journey. But it was still fairly pleasant. Also at Narbonne we popped out to grab snacks at a corner market. The landscape became more and more “California” to me, and the sun came out! At Barcelona Sants station we got fairly lost, but kind strangers helped us fumble to the right train to our hotel.

After unloading and refreshing we immediately walked to tapas! We went to Babula as the concierge recommended. Delicious, every single bite!

satisfied, we hit La Rambla (with all the other tourists) and admired the architecture while popping in stores. Along the way I spotted the Josep Bouquer market and Stefani clapped her hands in joy because it was closed every time she tried to go in her last visit. We shared some more small bites and she almost bought some jambon to take home.

Our final destination this day was la mer, and we found her! Perhaps darker and colder than is ideal. Nevertheless we doffed our shoes and chased the waves, then walked down the shore. It was delightfully childlike. Afterward we washed our feet and walked all way back to the hotel. Our legs are tired but it was as reading to eat and walk so much after a morning train ride, and the water was nice too! Time to sleep again.

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the hotel including quince jelly, jambon, and more pastries. A quick taxi ride took us to Park Guell. We hiked to the top and admired the views, then spiraled around to the main building area. While interesting and beautiful, we both agreed it was not the style we would want for our own home. But it made for beautiful photos.

With the city downhill, we decided to explore the city by walking back to the hotel and beyond. I found a yarn shop and bought some yarn for socks! I liked a French skein but it’s a brand available in Colorado, and I’m not in France, so I chose a more unique skein from Katia. We needed to rest and met that with some light snacks and an outdoor table. Fortified, we continued on to La Rambla. She helped me pick out a sweater and kerchief from a European chain store “Mango.” We bought chocolates at the shop we sampled last night.

We shopped away the plan to siesta. So we had to speedwalk back to the hotel for a 20 min break and to unload our treasures, then speed walk to Sagrada Familia. We made it perfectly on time - both for the ticket entry window and the afternoon glow through the windows.

Stefani wanted paella before we left, so I looked up a well reviewed restaurant not far from the cathedral. We also ate tomato bread, peppers prepared similar to blistered shishitos, fried artichoke, and chicken paella. Another delectable dinner! It was only 8:30, early for Barcelona citizens, but we chose to walk back to the hotel to rest and prepare for the return trip tomorrow morning. It was a great day!

Like the day before, we immensely enjoyed the hotel breakfast buffet. Then we grabbed our bags and took the metro back to the main train station. This was much easier than arriving, now that we understood the terrain and ticketing.

When we arrived in Narbonne the display was blank where our train’s platform should have been listed. I got a Coke Zero, now ten minutes to the departure time, and the display platform was still empty next to our route number. 8 minutes left, 6 minutes left. Now in a tiny corner the sign flickered “delayed 1h40m”. What?! The station agent was irritated and told us to get on the next train to Toulouse. It sounded like the train we booked was undersold, so they cancelled it? But why no warning or alert? We had reserved first class seats, and now piled onto a regional transit train with open seating. I was pleased we quickly had a solution, and overall only a 30 minute delay to the final destination. Stefani was very upset though! She assured me this would never have happened in this manner if we were in Germany! She notified her family and was confused about how we will get home, because her husband has a meeting and could not pick up at the new time. I assured her that there would be taxis at the train station to get us home. To make matters worse, there was a passenger common to American public transport- the confrontational mentally-ill person who yells in your face. My friend said she had never had an encounter like this. I shrugged it off but it really rattled her. To be honest, I was more impressed that other passengers called security, and within two minutes he was escorted off our car. Even so, my poor friend was beside herself! I reassured her all was well and we continued our pleasant conversation, filling in details of each others lives and how our cultures differ.

Back in Pibrac, Carl-Phillip made us a simple petit-dejeuner and I cracked open my first Orangina of the trip. I tried to lay low the afternoon. Stefanie had so many things she wanted to do together during our “free afternoon” but also needed to attend to house work and pack, both her Paris bag and her children’s things. (Florian is taking the kids on a camping road trip to Paris, meeting us Sunday evening. After I depart their family will continue to explore Paris for the rest of their school vacation time. ) I encouraged my friend to do what she needs to do without worrying about me, but stayed close by so she didn’t feel abandoned We both did laundry and had a cup of chicory - no coffee or caffeine, just chicory root. She said it is a favorite and offered me to try and I liked it a lot! Later she convinced the kids to accompany us to the grocery store. I was curious and she needed to restock anyway. The kids gave me good candy recommendations to bring home! Also I bought some chicory. I looked it up and I think in the US we only a version from New Orleans with coffee also?

After a quick stop home we walked to a restaurant in Pibrac to meet Florian after work. They explained that this bistro is connected to the boucherie next door. They close the shop at 12:30 and walk over to open the bistro for lunch, and back and forth each day. So they assured me the meat is top quality. On their recommendation I ordered the duck with today’s legumes, endives, in place of frites. I was pleased they let me pay for dinner as thanks for their hospitality. Then back home to finish packing. And that was the day! Tomorrow we wake extra early for our 8am train direct to Paris (no finicky connections this time 🤞).

(I’m using dictation for this, because it is already after midnight. We were out late at the ballet, and then I indulged in my separate room with some time and catching up at home. Anyway, the dictation might seem different than my previous posts is all I’m trying to say.)

this morning we woke up extra early to drive with rush-hour traffic to our train leaving at 8 AM. It was raining heavily. The TGV train to Paris was very nice! We had first class seats that were wide and comfortable. I enjoyed watching the French countryside change from forest to fields as we got closer to the city. I was surprised the route took us all the way to Bordeaux! So I practically went from one side to the other. I wish we had been close enough to see the western bay. According to the train conductor, because of the rain our train was slowed. So instead of a four hour journey, it took a little over six hours. We had a simple lunch on board from the café in car four.

now I am in my final destination, Paris! The metro ride to our hotel was fairly simple, our hotel is in a great location thanks to my parents recommendation. Our rooms were not ready yet. So we dropped off our luggage and started walking around town. Already we found a beautiful kitchen/dining shop, a vintage clothing shop ( nothing I was interested in purchasing), very spooky Halloween stores, and a patisserie that I could not resist. Oh, but before shopping we got food! Stephanie was so excited to see a Thai restaurant that had Chinese food. She lived in China for three years and says Toulouse, does not have any good Chinese restaurants, only a couple take away places without seating. At this restaurant, I had a chicken peanut satay that was so tender and delicious, Served over green curry rice. Oh, the rice! We eat rice, maybe four times a week or more. I didn’t realize how much I missed eating chicken and rice with chopsticks! So after the shopping and dinner, we got a call that our rooms were ready, and we went upstairs to refresh ourselves before going to our big event of the day…

… tickets to see Giselle at the Palais Garnier Opera house! Swoon! Aside from the exterior being under construction, it was perfect. The theater is magnificent. I was gob smacked by the opulence and beauty. I left in that one blurry photo of me because it captured a girl behind me making a face like I felt. We arrived plenty early to walk around the palace and soak up the architecture. Of course, I had to look closely at the costumes and admire the craftsmanship and creativity involved. Then there was the ballet itself! Absolutely exquisite. The footwork was so articulate and beautiful. Our Giselle had the most lovely lines. Everything was light and airy, the jump so high the beats so crisp. At intermission, we chatted with a couple behind us, an older couple married 10 years, one from France who was a dancer and had auditioned to try to get into this company, and the man from the UK, who said their love of dance is what brought them together and that they go to see shows here often. They were very and offered some insight. When we introduced ourselves and I said I was from America he said “obviously” not sure if he was joking or insulting me, but at least he was smiling. Some interesting things about the experience: the audience doesn’t clap nearly as much as American audiences do. It makes the show a lot faster when you’re not pausing between every song to clap. Pretty much only after principal variations, coda and pas de deux, and and at the end - where they did three full sets of bows for the entire company, and then the principals in front of the curtain. Only a few people in the rear orchestra and balcony did a standing ovation. Oh, also they didn’t clap during the dances, except one time. Our dancer playing Albrecht in Act did at least 16, and possibly 24 crazy jumps (I didn’t count, just guess based on the music). They were entreche-six, but I swear they looked like he was doing four beats, so entreche-huit?! Crazy!! oh, I could keep going on and on about the dance, but it is almost 1 AM and I made plans to meet for breakfast at 8:30, so I really need to turn off the lights and go to sleep. Good night! I hope there aren’t too many spelling errors in this!

By Stefanie’s request we purchased at the breakfast option at the hotel, so we started our day with a hearty meal. The weather was colder than planned. When I was packing for the trip forecast were hovering between high 60s low 70s in Paris. Alas, today, the high was 54° and windy. At least no rain! So we rearranged our plans to visit Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, so Stefanie could get a hat. The stores are packed with designer goods with a beautiful dome ceiling. I probably bought the cheapest thing there, a single crescent moon earring for €19. We went to the Terrace on top for our first look at the Eiffel Tower today (many more to come). We continued our shopping down to the Passage

(the mobile version of this website won’t let me edit sections if I click out. So this looks weird and I’m goin to backtrack)

before the passageway, I made a stop at Book-Off, that secondhand bookstore we discovered in Japan that often has K-pop goods. The New York store didn’t have any, and I haven’t seen a single K-pop idol since I arrived, despite all the fashion and perfume ads. Surprisingly this one had a large collection of old albums. But no other merch, and the photo cards they had were pretty poor quality. Mostly fakes and dirty pieces, lots of copies of unpopular idols (Taeil).

. . . Passage Choiseul where there are many unique shops. I would have eaten at any of the restaurants in there too! More my familiar style of a quick sandwich, bowl, or wrap in a casual setting, lots of Asian choices too! However I had in my mind that I should have a quiche today. We found one outside the passageway, but not before I stopped in Annie Bouquet to get more wool! Mom purchased this kit for me when she discovered the shop on her trip to Paris. Rather than request for additional supplies by mail, as the shop owner had offered, I brought it myself! Annie (?) the owner was so kind! I explained in broken French the reason I was there, and she was delighted to help me. Not only did she want to give me more dark green, the color I needed to resupply, she decided I needed several more and reached here and there in her cupboards to find the exact matches. I also asked her how to finish the project to make the finished case. She brought out an example and gave me detailed (which I filmed a recording of her hands while she spoke so I can remember how to do it.)

Lunchtime! I found a veggie quiche and a delicious (but far too big) pistachio and apricot tart. Oh my gosh, it’s already 1115 at night. OK I’m gonna do less typing and more photos. After our café lunch, we walked over to Notre Dame (the sun came out!!!), the stores in Ie st Louis, and then got in line for our tickets for.Sainte Chappelle.

and then we went to the Cathedral. It was gorgeous absolutely stunning.

We took the metro to Les Bateux Mouches for our boat tour. I got a citron et sucre crepe on the bridge to warm my hands. Stunning views were had while on a boat. Enjoy the pictures in the next post. I’m having tech problems tonight and I don’t want to risk losing what I have so far by reloading. So let me continue typing and I’ll post pictures separately.

after the boat ride, we walked to the Eiffel Tower to get a closer look. We didn’t really have a plan at this point, it seemed a little early for dinner. So I suggested we walk over to Rue Cler and have a look around. Most of the shops were closed, but I was surprised how many were still open. The cheese shop, the butchery, flowers, and many takeaway shops. I bought macarons to eat later. I also had a good laugh at the products inside this American store called the Real McCoy. They had a huge stock of canned pumpkin! We double back to an Italian restaurant we had earlier and had a long dinner. I ordered lasagna, which came with a huge amount of cheese on top. I tried to scrape most of it off, but let’s just declare today a cheese day between the lasagna and The quiche. I encourage my friend to have a glass of wine because she was eyeing it. She really loosened up and we had a great conversation. Maybe because of the wine, it took a while to pack up and pay 💰 the bill and exit the restaurant. We walked over to the Eiffel Tower to catch the sparkles at the top of the hour Enjoy more photos in the next post!

(I’m having tech problems tonight, I recommend you go down to the next post to read and see the first half of the day and notes on the second, then come back for the afternoon and evening pictures here.) (also, in case it wasn’t clear, only my companion enjoyed wine tonight!) (I’m not sure what I wrote, I’m so tired. Signing off after these upload!)

Once again, we had a delicious breakfast at the hotel, and then met downstairs to leave for Versailles! The train ride there was fairly easy and pleasant. When we arrived, it wasn’t clear where to lineup. Stefanie went for clarification and was told that the palace opening was delayed and that we should enjoy ourselves in the garden. Second guard explained further that there was a technical problem and they expected it to open, but in the meantime, we were free to enjoy the gardens. So we did that! It was a brisk day, but I was delighted to find a rainbow in the sky! The gardens are vast and they must be amazing in spring and summer. Despite the season, I managed to find a lot of beauty in the plants, and of course the sculptures. Around 1030 we made it back to the palace entrance and we’re told that they continue to have trouble. They said the palace will “ remain closed until midday, at least.”

I was secretly delighted. This is what makes traveling in adventure! In fact, Ben and I are enjoying an anime called Zatsu Tabi which emphasizes this aspect of travel. I felt satisfied that I saw the gardens, that I had been to Versailles, and now I had a reason to return to Paris someday. My companion was much more upset. She had planned to go with me today, and also with her family who are meeting her for another week of Paris. She tried to reach out to them to figure out if it to go with them tomorrow, because the staff told us our tickets would be good anytime today and anytime. She tried to encourage me to come back with them tomorrow, but I firmly told her I was quite satisfied and did not want to spend another day in Versailles. On the way to the train station, we paused for some refreshment and to sit and research. I really wanted to eat a banh mi sometime, so I looked up some potential restaurants. We also thought it might be useful to see if we could use the tickets, we have for tomorrow at a museum today instead. With the plan in place we headed back to Paris. First, we went to the restaurant, and after settling in, when they took my order they said they do not any ANY banh mi today! So we backtracked a few blocks where we had passed a string of Middle Eastern restaurants. We found a nourishment at Kouskous, which was really good!

on the way to the museum I stopped at a clothing shop they only have here. The green blouse I wore to the ballet is from this company, Sezanne. I was hoping to see some more items in person and maybe check my size for future purchases online. Unfortunately, the store is bad reviews were earned! For some reason, they keep most of their merchandise in stacks on the wall, and you have to wait in line to get someone to pull them down, and they frequently don’t have sizes or colors. They were hardly any options to look at on the racks. Disappointing. This was followed by another disappointment when the museum would not honor tickets for today. Thus it was decided that I would come alone tomorrow to our appointed time, and Stefanie would spend tomorrow morning with her family in Versailles, we will meet up in the afternoon. Actually, I was hoping to have a day to myself in Paris, but my companion was very insistent while planning this trip that we spend 100% of our time together while I’m here. So I’m kind of happy about the change of plans, and looking up destinations for tomorrow by myself.

We took a train (got slightly lost, google was misleading) to the southeast for a museum that was on my list for possible empty periods, the Musee Carnavalet. On the weather, we passed by an another random, amazing, very old monument (this city is chock full of them!) and stopped at a patisserie for a pastry (the city is chalk full of them!) Afternoons are not the best time for walking slowly through museums, but I quite enjoyed it! This was actually my first museum of the trip. It was really well laid out with a lot of interesting artifacts. We walked through chronologically from the ancient times to the 1900s.

We walked through the shops of Le Marais and bought matching brown sweaters at Muji. Suddenly, it was pouring rain! We’ve been doing good this whole trip! Just a few sprinkles here and there. Luckily, we both had our rain jackets. We zipped up and shuffled to the nearest good looking restaurant (this city is chock full of them!) I ticked off another menu item on my list of things to eat in Paris, French onion soup (without cheese gratin), and rounded out the meal with a steak, potatoes and salad. The rain pretty much stopped, and we made our way back to the hotel, passing by the monument for which our hotel’s street gets its name. We sat in the lobby, sharing photos and recalling good parts of the day, and talking about our ambiguous plans to meet up tomorrow afternoon after she and her family come back from Versailles.

Ha! I got my post done before midnight! Plus it’s daylight savings change tonight for Europe, so I get a bonus hour of sleep! I’m going to do a little more research for tomorrow and then hit the hay. À bientôt!

This morning, it was daylight savings ending for Europe, so I got an extra hour! I had breakfast downstairs like usual, and then spent quite a while repacking my bags to fly home. I needed to check out and have the hotel hold my bags until I retrieve them this evening. I finished the job pretty early thanks to the extra hour. Sunday mornings are lazy in Paris, so I slowly made my way to Les Halles where some brand name stores might be open soon. It was a very strange mall set up and I got lost looking for a couple particular stores over and over. I’m really happy that I found the German (?) home goods store called Søstrene Grene. They had so many great affordable items!! I tried to hold back but I turned a corner and saw yarn!!! I did some back of the hand math to get enough of this thin cotton to make a lightweight summer short sleeve tee.

Before this trip, I found a vegan patisserie chain called Land + Monkeys. We hadn’t been around their locations yet, so this is one of the reasons I came to Les Halles today. Oh my!! The chocolat chaud with oat milk was so good!! The best hot chocolate I could drink without concern in years!! I’ll be honest, the pastries were subpar for Paris. I still enjoyed them and the lack of pill supplementation.

I needed to make my way northwest for a museum timed ticket. Along the way I enjoyed more art nouveau architecture in Samaritaine and popped into a cathedral across from the Louvre. I didn’t plan to visit the Louvre this trip, but the metro station made me feel like I did for just a little bit! Whoa, they have so many artifacts they just toss them in the public underground??

My parents and the internet highly recommended this museum, Jacquemart-Andre. I really liked it! It’s the home of a wealthy couple with a large art collection curated by the wife. They also have temporary exhibits and now it is Georges de la Tour. He was a painter specializing in chiaroscuro in the 1640s. Stef couldn’t use her ticket today and they don’t take refunds. I told the agent I had an extra ticket for a single person to use and she and the group in the “sans billets” line burst into excitement. Apparently I solved a problem. The joyful old woman from Berlin told me I was an angel and we chatted merrily while she pranced up the cobblestones to scan in on my phone. With the merry start, I was in a good mood and really enjoyed the mansion.

My next target was a well reviewed banh mi shop. It was ok, but I wouldn’t go back there. The shop I love in Broomfield is called “Paris Banh Mi” and Im glad to know that I can eat a better there on my special sandwich days than in actual Paris.

during lunch I got an update from my friend. Our plan was to meet in the afternoon when she was done with Versailles for a quick hello to the whole family. She thought she was going to be back in Paris around 3 o’clock. At this point she told me we could meet near her hotel at 4 o’clock. I know there were some complications with getting their camper van parked somewhere, and she seems to run late a lot of the time. I had made a list of ideas last night for what to do today in case I had some free time. There were a couple museums on my list, but I don’t think I could go there without rushing through. Studying the map, I saw that the Palais Garnier was between me and our meet up point. I knew there were several shops around there. That would be fun to look through. Everyone told me the shops are closed on Sunday, but that seems to be only the small, old-fashioned businesses. It would’ve been great to explore some passage ways today instead of these brand stores, but I was happy to have anything open!

it was time to meet my friend, and I was almost there. It was a quiet neighborhood unknown to me, but familiar because of the naked ladies and monuments 😉 unfortunately my friend messaged me that she wouldn’t be able to make our appointment. She tried to come up with another plan and negotiate, but I didn’t have time. I needed to get back to the hotel for my luggage and get to the airport hotel before it got too late. It’s ok though. We have spent a lot of time together this week, and I know we will keep writing in the future, so I’m happy with the way things ended.

Before going to the hotel I made a stop at another Land+Monkeys to warm my hands and get food for dinner. On the metro, I noticed a woman with a water bottle that had an Enhypen and Seventeen sticker on it. I haven’t seen a single symbol of K-pop this whole trip! I was very nervous to mention it, French people don’t seem to talk to strangers, but I was actually listening to a seventeen song at that very moment, and couldn’t let the opportunity slip. It turns out she’s a 22 year-old au pair from Oklahoma and we like a lot of the same groups! Was super excited that I said hello. We got off at the same stop and continue to chat for a while. She even walked me down to the street to the café and we took a picture together! Engenes and Carats united! It was a very sweet way to end my visit in Paris.

I sipped my hot chocolate while reviewing the airport route and retrieving my luggage. With my huge IKEA bag of dirty clothes I made the trip to my hotel without too many wrong turns. I had my vegan Mediterranean sandwich (tough bread, delicious fillings) a citron tartelette (meh). and a “cigare” from a middle eastern shop in the fancy GL food shops (soooo good).

More packing, a little rest, a lot of planning, a lot of photo editing and blogging, and now I’m ready to sleep! I have to wake up around 5AM, but approximately 20.5 hours later I will be home! It’s been an amazing adventure with so many good memories. But I really miss home and I look forward to being there very much!!

I made a short list of things I want to leave behind: 1) perfumed soaps and lotions and people and rooms 2) complicated trash sorting required 3) so much dairy! 4) having vertigo swaying when at rest from all the time on planes and trains.

And a list of what I miss: 1) my family. 2) my bathroom 3) dancing / yoga 4) ADA compliance codes 5) having a large drink with me all day 6) wearing sweatpants and a hoodie.

All advice said to arrive 3 hours early for my flight. I woke up before my alarm and had no reason to delay the morning. I packed and left hotel before their breakfast service, around 5:15. It was raining lightly while I schlepped my luggage back to the shuttle, and back to the terminal. By 6:30 I was at my gate with 2 1/2 hrs to wait. I thought there would be a Monday morning rush, but I must be ahead of the crowds. The business lounge is great to have in these situations for food, WiFi, and quiet. I found a corner with outlets and ate breakfast slowly while watching some sewing and ballet videos. I’m glad I put my Annie Bouquet project in my carryon bag! My sock knitting project is good for planes and short bursts only (it gets boring).

After 4 gate changes I got on the plane to Frankfurt. The pilot said there was a lot of traffic. In Frankfurt I purposefully walked in circles for exercise and had lunch in the lounge. I wasn’t sure how to handle sleep. I wanted to stay awake the whole flight so I can sleep when I get to Colorado in the evening. But, as Sam says, sleeping is time travel. I aimed for a good nap after the meal service to match the plane lighting, and I got about 3 hours. The seats were spacious and comfortable (except the headrest).

it was a very long and bumpy descent into to Denver as usual. Immigration/customs was smooth and Ben picked me up with comforts from home! He brought me a large icy water, peanut MMs, and a hoodie! 💜 Now I’m home. I had a relaxing shower and watched an anime with Ben. Sam and Jack are taller than I remember. It’s good to see my three boys again. 💜. Except for the nap, I’ve been awake for 24 hours. I want to read/watch online a little bit before I go to sleep, but I’m having a hard time. I have disembarkment syndrome so the room is swaying and bobbing. I hope it goes away soon! Tomorrow I’ll tackle my laundry.

That’s the end of my tale! It was a remarkably smooth trip with plenty of happy occasions and great experiences. Good night!

Sam's second concert of the year was the Area Festival. It's mostly promotion to keep kids in the music program. They gather all grades 5 - 12 and have them perform together to show the growth they can achieve. This year his school gathered at Ralston Valley High School.

Sam dressed up like a weathered pirate. Ben dressed up as a Ninja jajamaru-kun. Jack dressed up like a vampire. I dressed in my bones hoodie as a generic, comfortable, ghoul. With bat earrings.

I made pumpkin pancakes for breakfast and ate leftover autumnal foods I cooked earlier this week (fall veggie chicken-kale bowls, and leek soup with homemade bread) (Doing physical work is the best for my ongoing vertigo. Lots of cooking and laundry this week).

Sam attended the fall social and also wore his costume to school. After school we carved pumpkins (really down the wire this year!) Jack changed into his costume after coming home from rehearsal around 6:30. I had a fun time helping him accessorize (he stole most of the clothing pieces from me in the first place!). I stayed home to hand out candy. We had about 30 visitors. Ben helped Sam meet up with his friend. The weather wasn't too cold, and the leaves were still crunching underfoot. Sam came back late with their spoils to eat and watch The Nightmare Before Christmas and Jack got back from his party to join in. I went to bed first! This morning my Saturday Zumba group had a delayed costume class (the teacher was out of town last weekend too). I put together all my spooky-adjacent athletic clothes to make a ghoulish costume. It was an easy, fun Halloween!