Thinking

I am startled and amazed when I realize how utterly vicious my thoughts become when I think about the current hard-core conservative environment.  Utterly vicious.

And perhaps the scariest part is that I'm not sure that I want to change, because I don't see any benefit in doing so. 

Air Who?

I like the image of flying on Air France.  Its classy, at least in my mind. What ISN'T is the fascination that AF staff has with going on strike, every summer.  We're going to France this summer, and yes, the tickets over and back are on AF.  But this will be the last time, I think.  Enough is enough.

Today

Today's the day that our French exchange student goes home.  We're sad.  Not devastated, but - sad.  Wishing that things were different.

The Return

This week, my American daughter returns to her new home in Virginia, and my French daughter returns to her home in France.

Meanwhile, my wife will be on a trip with her mother and sister, leaving me and the cat.

Going to be lonely around here.

Departure

This is the last week of the French exchange student as a resident in our home.  This coming Sunday, she gets on a plane for Paris.  We are sad, because we really bonded with her. 

I am sure that as things happen, we will become just a memory to her, but still: when her mother thanks us energetically for always being there for her daughter, and for being very supportive - in fact, she referred to us as famille et amis - family and friends -- well, its hard not to have warm feelings about their whole family.  That's a little ironic, because our contact with her parents has been minimal -- something to do with both of them working, and a six-hour time differencee between here and Paris.  But still:  we feel warmly toward the girl, and by transference, toward the family, too.

Even if they're curiously reluctant to let us adopt her.