A few weeks ago I shared my dilemma with dental floss-- yea its like a million dollars here. While heading out yesterday my little building manager let me know that I had a package waiting for me (in french....im getting better:-)). So I got the package and there was this little gold mind of Glide (my favorite) dental floss-- ENOUGH, to last me the entire trip:-) My wonderful Brother in-law is single handedly responsible for the my dental hygiene. THANK YOU!

I love coffee, and I have for along time. It was outlawed by my track coach while I was running, but I did sneak it in occasionally in college when it was very much needed. Since I have stopped running I have begun an emotional relationship with coffee-- with soy milk and 2 sugars please.

2 months ago I started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet-- prescribed for those with chronic digestive diseases--I have Celiac. The diet cuts out all grains, most starches, all sugar and lactose. SO basically I can eat some fruits veggies, meat and home made yogurt (which removes the lactose). Anyone who knows me knows that the no sugar was the kicker. I actually looked at the diet several months ago and read the "no sugar" part, and said "no, absolutely not, there is no way in Gods name" (side note: this includes chocolate, or coco in ANY form). Any ways going on this diet drastically changed my relationship with coffee. My creamy, slightly sweet cup was now brown bitter water- ewe. It took several months of training before I could enjoy it.

Yesterday while out on the town I stopped at Starbucks to get a coffee. It is the only place I knew would have coffee to go. I will also add that it will be my last time to Starbucks Paris, as I paid 2.60 Euros for normal coffee (about $3.00). I took my first sip and thought....this is soooo weak! I have been in Paris for a month now and I have become so accustomed to drinking black strong coffee that my previously favorite coffee now tastes like brown water (still bitter, but nothing I can do about that). It is possible (business school is teaching me to examine both sides of a situation) that it was just that pot of coffee, or that location so I will reserve TOTAL conclusion. BUT I am going to integrate coconut milk into my repertoire of food so there may be a resurrection of my sweet coffee, and then the world can go back to normal.

Business school has taught me that I do not want to work as: a Conflict negotiator, or in Supply Chain Management. Who would like to guess which classes I have taken so far....RIGHT! Conflict negotiation and Supply Chain management!
Its not that the subjects are not interesting-- they are. I think it is the way that my school is set up that makes you feel dizzy. We study one subject for 2 weeks straight, all day, at a very intense level. So the three days that you are in seminar there is #1 a lot to learn VERY quickly, and #2 a lot to apply VERY quickly. If you skip one beat, one step you will be in a fog--which will stress you out when you have to apply a months worth of knowledge (which will be in about 2 hours after your introduction to the topic). Mix that with a very competitive atmosphere, add two people to your group that dont speak English well....and you get to do it all on your own! YAY! This has driven me to become very acquainted with the French culture of coffee and wine in excess. Coffee to wake up all day, wine to go to sleep all night. BUT I have always been a person of excess, so really I am having the time of my life. PS- I DID FIND THE STARBUCKS!

This is a public request. There is this girl in my class from Turkey who is a lawyer and is now getting her MBA. I have always thought that people that are lawyers and dont...practice (is that the word?) are sooo cool. Any ways I really enjoy being in school, something that I have realized after sitting in a cubicle for 2 years, so I am making a formal request to my Father: can I go to law school too. Just think of the benefits this will bring you. You will have a CPA, Lawyer, MBA and Drug connection--from just your 3 daughters. Most celebrities dont even have that many employees on retainer. I have always found law to be fascinating and that would have been my direction had I not decided on business school. So let me know what you think and I will figure out what country I'll be moving to for that, America is so yesterday.
**As my back up-- Terry Sheldon DID say he would pay for me to go to Law school- please remind him of this, perhaps there can be a deal stuck (see I'm already thinking like "Whitney Schmucker, Attorney at Law, MBA, Hello Kitty Collector")

Last night I stayed up late and finished my paper. I decided that my reward today would be a trip to sephora to buy a face wash-- I currently do not have one, and its not pretty people. If you have spoken to me lately I have told you about this plan, because I was very excited! Now-- I know that almost everything is closed on Sundays, with the exception of some grocery stores and some restaurants, but I thought that in the super touristy areas that things would be open. Wellllll-- they arent! These people are missing out big time on some dollar bills! Every store is closed!
So after going to 2 different sephoras I just walked around, visited Notre Dame, Hotel D'ville and some other things that were in walking distance. It wasnt a very nice day, drizzling. But it was nice to get out and see some things I hadnt had a chance to see sense I arrived.
Tomorrow i have class again, so I am working on the readings for the class right now and still need to finish up my paper (proof reading etc). Then on Thursday I will finally make my way to sephora.

I know because I look in their windows. My building has a small court yard in the middle of it so you can see right into other people's windows. When I was looking for apartments they were all some what similar, small, half sized stove tops, etc. I had gathered that thats what apartments were like in Paris, what do you need 6 rings on your stove for? Well-- after being a peeping tom I realized that there are some really cool, normal people apartments here too-- and my neighbors have them. One neighbor has a full sized kitchen sink, stove AND fridge! This is unheard of! There is a full on dining room table with Chandler! Then when I was leaving the other day I saw the unthinkable....an elevator!!!!! right across my building! I dont have access to that side, so I cant use it. But I think the nice apartments are on one side of the building and the ....nice, but really small and non-American apartments are on the other side. I would like to also include that today while laying on the sofa I reached behind my head to the dining room table to get my cup of coffee...without moving my body an inch. I also blew a fuse--4 times while cooking this weekend, because you cannot have the lights on while the stove and oven are on at the same time :-) 4 times!

And now, to aviod working on my paper-- I will tell you about it! YAY

Last weekend I bought some chestnut puree. I dont know if you know but chestnuts are not like other nuts they are more like a fruit. So Chestnut butter-- not oily like peanut butter or almond butter. I decided that it was good...but not what i wanted. So today I played chemist-- adding melted butter, salt and honey and now it is delicious! I have put it on everything I have eaten today and tomorrow I will probably be sick of it and throw it away. :-) Ok im writting my paper now. "No" guy is singing a song.