Old-Timer

(I know, it's Miley Cyrus... but still. Close your eyes.)

Kimmy Webster tweeted this youtube link the other day, and I have fallen in love with the song. My father & I are both fond of the dobro, he wants to learn how to play it, I think it's wicked cool. The dobro is a guitar that you lay flat on your lap to play & use a slide on your finger.


Now, it has been a while since I have "blogged", but I am definitely keeping up with my journal for Mme Spencer! Since that is in French, it's harder to translate it. So, I'll give you a synthese of my time here.

Michelin Headquarters : the Greenhouse

Michelin : La Combaude
The food in the cafeteria is delicious. Kate, delicious? IT'S CAFETERIA FOOD! Au contraire, mes amis.... This is no ordinary cafeteria. Oh no. This, is a 4 star restaurant.

Every day (EVERY DAY) they have a different meal to choose from -- usually it's fish and pizza, which they make fresh for you, or it's fish and some other dish.

Since I have arrived at work I have had:

Salmon ,trout, risotto, some weird fish that is similar to a sting ray but not a sting ray (not happy I ate that), & fish prepared in the Chinese style... With this entree, you also get two sides. Vegetables or whatever you want. Or you can just have one side.

One day, I mistook brussel sprouts for broccoli. I ate them anyway, and was slightly surprised. I will not eat them again.

And, ON TOP OF THAT, you get a baguette. Fo free.


There are all these other crazy things you can have -- some weird cheeses (have not tried), some appetizers (some of them look like cat food, others are deviled eggs), and desserts.


Then the nice cashier lady tells you it's 5 euros. Or less. And you look at her in shock, then at your plate, then back at her to see if she is joking. She is not.

It is so serene and picturesque here. The mountains are everywhere, and I am blown away by their sheer beauty as they look down over the town and stand almost in between it and the outside world.
God worked overtime when he created these volcanoes and this sleepy little town.

They are hard working in this town to develop it even more. It is not only the international headquarters for Michelin but also the site of 4 (if I recall correctly) Michelin facilities. WOW. It had 6 at one point in time...


Today, I went to this place called E-Leclerc, a type of supermarche or hypermarche, and finally found the hairdryer I have been searching for. I forgot last weekend to buy one, and felt so idiotic the next day!!

Think of Sam's or Costco's. Then double the store space and it's inventory. Then you kind of have a glimpse of what E-Leclerc is.

I also bought a hair straightener (THANK YOU JESUS!), nail polish remover, some other necessities such as a non-travel toothbrush, and a sim card. I know have a French cell phone number.


I was extremely interested in a type of offer given by Virgin mobile, but I had to have some sort of address verification. Like a gas bill. Or electricity or water bill. Well, seeing as how I don't pay bills, that wasn't working.

So, instead of paying 16 euros, I ended up paying 30 for my texts/ etc. And 15 for the number and sim card. However, now I know that if I ever get some sort of document that proves I live where I live, I can get what I want for cheaper!!

I unlocked my Verizon Blackberry this morning and am SO thankful that I could do that.


I want to go back to this magical spot, but it's a good 20 minute tram ride from Place Delille...The plus side is that it is extremely close to the stop, which is nice when it's raining.

Why don't the French provide bags for their customers? It is annoying me. Thankfully, I had the foresight to bring my new Longchamp so I managed to fit everything with just carrying my hair dryer!