No wonder people laugh at France....

....French people talk funny.

Week two of French lessons and it's kicking my argot.  Actually I can read the words and understand what they mean.  I can usually get the gender, tense, etc right, too.  It's when it gives me a verbal sentence to translate that I lose it.  To me it sounds like ellefillegarconcahtnoirettubrutesontsomme when it's said in .003 seconds.  

Hold on there Kemo Sabe....S L O W   D O W N.  "Es" and "est" both sound the same to me when spoken at warp speed.  What happened to the "t" sound?   If France is supposed to be such a laid back place, why do they talk so damn fast? 

I'm thinking about speaking in English and then just wrapping it in a faux-French accent.  Have you ever noticed how all mimes are French?  You know why that is?  Because learning French kicked their argot, too.

Seriously, I'm committed to learning this.  I've always wanted to learn another language.  I'm thinking it will keep my mind....oh look....I Love Lucy is on.

The British on the other hand, despite their outwardly stodgy image, seem to know how to have a good time.

Reading the announcement of the new Royal Baby, Prince Elmo

An English judge

The famous Beefeaters

It looks to me like the whole country is just one giant costume party.

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K is taking a few days off work, so today we're going to visit the new George Dubya Bush Library on the SMU campus in Dallas.  Photos to follow.

Have a good day everyone.  Stay cool.

S

I'm gonna need one of those funny hats

I've been wanting to learn a foreign language for some time now.  A friend told me recently when he was preparing for graduate school he began learning Japanese because he thought learning another language would sharpen his mind.  As he is very successful today I'm guessing he might have been right.

But which language?  Spanish should be the logical choice as there are Spanish speakers everywhere here.  To me, though, it's just not a very pretty language to listen to.  I took it in college and after two years mastered little more than ordering eggs and beer and hurling various assorted familial insults.

I narrowed it down to German, Italian, and French.  Since K had several years of French in school and could probably help me, it's the one I chose.  For now I'm using an online app, but if I steadily progress and stick with it I'm going to invest in a Rosetta Stone*.  (A good luck charm wouldn't hurt, either.)  After 4 days I already know that French boys eat red apples and French women are rich. 

I'm pumped!  At this rate I'll be speaking like a regular Frenchie before you know it.  I can already feel my mind being honed to a razor's edge.  Y'all better stand back.  ;)

S

*Anyone have any experience with Rosetta Stone?  One to five, how many stars?

And I was thaaaaaat close!

I was thaaaaaat close to landing my dream job.  

It seems the English Heritage organization, which oversees English historic sites, is searching for a general manager to look after Stonehenge.  To refresh your memory Stonehenge is a bunch of rocks piled up by prehistoric people about 2,500 B.C. near Salisbury, England.  

How hard could it be, managing a rock pile?

I'm told Stonehenge is a really big deal to old-time history lovers.  Many travel great distances in uncomfortable tour buses to take pictures of it.  (I'm too lazy to do that, so I just got my Stonehenge picture off the internet.)

I had already dusted off my resume and updated it since the time I landed my last job back in '79 and was ready to drop it in the mail when I read the job description's fine print:  They want someone who will not only contract out the lawn mowing (a specialty of mine), but to oversee the building of a new visitor's and education center, cafe, shop, and exhibition space.  Whoa!  

Yes, I could build those things in my sleep, but as I thought about it more I realized I'm a little intimidated by the commute.  And when I got there all my guys would be speaking some weird foreign language.

"Blimey....crikey....not fit for purpose....mind the gap", etc.  Learning English as a kid gave me fits, I can only imagine how hard it would be to learn a new language at my age now.

Maybe I'd better just stay retired.  *Darn...nothing's ever easy anymore, is it?*

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Crossing my fingers the weather cooperates with our plans for tomorrow.  We're going to the Southlake Art Festival, one we've never been to before.  In addition to the usual artists and musicians they'll have food trucks, too.  I see a photo op. ;)

Hope y'all have a fun weekend planned also.

S