Special

Well, do I feel special today or what?  The manager (Mike) of my local market called this morning to inform me the special order of Magnum White Ice Cream Bars had come in.  Robb and I rushed right over to buy a couple (they come in packages of three bars).  We looked in the ice cream case but could only find the regular Magnum bars.  I saw a market employee and asked if he knew where they might be.  He in turn asked Mike, who informed me that they were kept in the back. When he asked if I wanted the whole case (six 3-packs) I told him that I had just purchased six half-gallons of ice cream, so I would only take two at this time.  I asked if they were going to put them in the case with the others and he replied they were not.  They were just for me!

Saturday evening, we went again to Le Comptoir.  We were eagerly anticipating les moules et frites (mussels and fries).  I'm sorry to report we were quite disappointed.  It's not entirely their fault because they have to use inferior ingredients.  The mussels in the US are no where near the quality of those in Europe.  On the other hand, the fries were also not what we were expecting, and that is definitely something they can control.  I don't know, maybe they're trying to accomodate American tastes.  In Europe, when you order fries, you get  big slices of potato  fried to perfection (crispy outside, soft and delicious on the inside), not the skinny McDo type.  We were hoping and expecting the European style, but we got the American style.  Very disappointing.  We're undecided about whether or not to return.  If we do, we will not have the moules.

When I tell other Americans about some of the advantages the French have over us, they don't believe me.  For example, as soon as you are hired to work in France, you are entitled to FIVE weeks vacation.  And France is the only country in the world, of which I know, where you can call a doctor and he will come to you at your home.  What I don't understand is why the euro is higher than the dollar and why it's going up again in the face of the terrible European economy.

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À la prochaine, mes amis.