Crazy Lady Coming Through

Today started off in an idyllic way, grabbing a Velib bike from in front of Chris' apartment and heading toward the center of the city along the Canal St. Martin. It was a beautiful ride and the first thing I saw after leaving the apartment was...ponies!

I happened upon a market at Breguet-Sabin and bought a hat. I've been wanting a Panama hat but this was in a box marked "3 euros". How could I not? It's fun to hand over some change and walk away putting a hat on, especially when it instantly renders your outfit "crazy lady." I was wearing this beach dress I got in Bali and carrying several bags. I was also sweating maniacally. The heat was the thing that tipped the balance. My dress is black and so is my hair. I felt like a walking black hole, sucking the heat out of the air into a vortex of insanity. I stopped being able to think rationally. The hat just made it obvious.

What started off as a great ride this morning got frustrating when I realized that free museum day doesn't include the places I wanted to go (Dali museum in Montmartre, Centre Pompidou) so I visited a tourist booth to see what my options were. I decided on the Musee de l'Orangerie. And guess what? After riding a Velib for a while to get there (pant, pant) I circled for 90 minutes to park the thing. 90 MINUTES. I visited at least 4 stations, waiting for 10-20 minutes at several. This Velib situation is unbelievable but...I still love them! It's like having an unreliable boyfriend. The good times are so great.

I started doing the crazy lady shuffle, which I realized is the exact same thing as my morning shuffle (which Isaac always teases me for). Eyes half-closed, bottoms of the feet never technically leaving the ground. I was just so hot and tired. I decided I needed Ira Glass' voice to keep me in reality and laughed all the way through les Tuileries to this crazy short story by Nick Hornby. I sat staring at Monet's Water Lilies at the Musee de l'Orangerie for a really long time, just listening. Then I figured I had time for one more museum so I decided on the Musee de la Publicite (posters dating back to the 13th century) which is a specialty museum at the Louvre. When I got there, I found out that it's actually in a different location but I could not handle any more time outside. So I stayed where I promised myself I wouldn't go today. And yes, it was a zoo.

Coming home today, I picked up a Velib (flat tire, try again!) and took a detour through les Buttes Chaumont. I saw the ponies, a little girl being lifted off one of them. We'd all had a long day. Poor ponies probably felt as hot and crazy as I did. Now I'm listening to The Shirelles and I can hear the old man blowing his whistle in les Buttes Chaumont for everyone to get out before the gates close. I hope the ponies are comfy wherever they go back to.