Life After Baseball...

It's been a post lagging 2 weeks my friends, and I apologize. You see for the last four years during the month of October I have had the privilege of leaving behind the role of being a productive member of society to transforming into an even more than usual rabid Philadelphia Phillies baseball fan, and this year was no different. Moving to France has meant a change in my schedule for watching my beloved boys in red and white pinstripes, such as a 2 am start for most playoff games with games concluding between 5 and 6 am. Our run came to a close this year a little early (after two straight years of going to the World Series, winning it all in 2008), as we lost very early Sunday morning to the pansy San Francisco Giants in a heartbreaking loss. I'm typically not a sore loser (unless we lose to the Mets), but in this case the pompous and holy-ier than thou attitude of the Giants, Giants media outlets and Giants fans of the postseason was a hell of a lot more than I could physically take, and I can't wait for them to get tromped in the World Series by Clifton Pfifer Lee, former ace for the Phils. So long story short, I'm back...a little saltier than usual perhaps, but back. Now let's catch up shall we?



I've been very into leaves lately...


[Scientist at work...]

I've started taking french classes at CERN, and occassionally, if I'm lucky, I get to have lunch and coffee with this handsome devil...




In addition to canning for the first time, I made my first apple pie, from scratch (more on that later). And it was great! (Thanks to Christine over at Christine and the Big Scary Kitchen for the suggestion on buying an oven thermometer - our former temperature guesses were WAY OFF!)


I'm making new friends on my frequent bike rides to Botanic...


[Hee-haw. That's the noise donkeys make right?]


I'm learning that I have a fear of french spiders...American sized spiders don't bother me, but French spiders are seriously as large as my hand and their legs are as long as my fingers...


And there's snow on the Jura. Hello cold and grey weather, oh how I've missed you!

Market day; also known as I wanna be like Vincent Price...

Well, it appears that all of France is back from vacay, because the market was busier than it's been in a long time. As we've gotten more and more settled into the town it's become so much more than just the day we buy the majority of our food for the week, but it's also become a real social event where we get to catch up with friends whom we may have not seen during the week.


It's also the day Dan and I have pain aux chocolat for breakfast with espresso. Best way to start off a Sunday...


But this day at the boulangerie was different than all the rest, because there was a surprise hiding in the counter...



...MACARONS!

This may seem silly that living in France I consider it to be a surprise to find macarons at the boulangerie, but we actually haven't had any in the 6 months + since we've been here because none of the boulangeries in our area carry them. This runs quite contrary to what I had envisioned in Chicago on February 11th of this year, where I thought the streets would be lined with macarons of every color...apparently this is only in Paris. :( Needless to say, I am obsessed with macarons, and we definitley brought home several of those delicious little devils since this was one of the few times a year our boulangerie makes them...

What is this you ask? Did we happen to procure anything at the market to ward off Dracula? Funny thing you should mention that because we totally did...


Yep, it's a braided garlic thing with about 12 garlic bulbs on it, and it comes with a hook so that you may hang it up to ward off vampires (OR, *nerd alert* zombies from the Vincent Price classic, "Last Man on Earth," *end nerd alert*) while you make your pasta.


[Newest recruit to Vincent Price fandom...]


We tried to have our Sunday lunch outside, but despite the cooler temps the flies were out like crazy. Even putting my bug repellent fan courtesy of Momma and Poppa Jaffe on the table next to our food couldn't deter the flies. Nature was all kinds of crazy yesterday as even the gang of bees who usually keep to themselves were all up in our grill, so we took our lunch inside. (Sidenote: I'm seriously considering bee boxes on the patio as I think it's time these bees earned their keep, rather than merely loitering like our patio is a Wawa parking lot...)


So, once inside, Bug Killing Ninja Dr. Hadron went on the offensive. He has gotten so good at killing the flies that he no longer has the need for such primitive tools as a newspaper or fly swatter, but uses his hands to grab them out of thin air...it's quite Karate Kid-ish, and I can't wait for him to start grabbing the flies out of the air with chopsticks...


And all the while, the Phanatic looked longingly out the window and dreamt of doing belly-rolls at the World Series for a third year in a row...


And I finally got my macarons and espresso. :)

A quick shopping trip to Ferney...

[The market, closing up shop for the day...]

After two straight weekends filled with Triathalon and triathalon related activities, we were so excited to take it easy a bit this weekend, though, that didn't really happen. After sleeping in and a short run for me on the mountain, we headed into Ferney for the last few minutes of the market in hopes of getting some olives, Mirabelles (one of my new favorite end of summer fruits), and some confiture...



[It's been awhile since we've been able to do our weekly mirror picture...]


[Mirabelles - big in France...]

Mirabelles are a fruit of the plum family, along with another fruit called Reine-Claud...Both are big here this time of year, and we were hoping to pick up some confiture with either of them in it, but alas, we were a little too late to the market that day...there's always next week.


[The Phanatic always gets the chicks...and then drinks their wine...]

We also (we = not me) started to work on getting Dan's bike back in action after "The Curse of the Bike Rack" incident last week, so while the boys worked on the sick bike Kim and I watched some "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" - with the Phanatic.


[We're comin' for youse Braves...]

This of course brought my inner Philadelphian out - tuff glove and all...what can you expect with the Phils two games out of first place...

Where has all the sod gone?; also known as Game 2 of the Phillies vs. the Nationals...

[Madson and Chooch.]

Pic via here.

Thanks to the awesomeness of technology I was able to watch the second game in the Phils/Nationals series this AM, and I still felt like a little kid on Hanukkah morning. And then I realized Hamels was pitching, and I became a little less excited and a little more apprehensive. Yes, I know he was our ace in '08. Yes, I know he and Lidge are the reason we won the World Series in that same year and yes, I do appreciate that. I wanna like the guy, I really do. But yah know what? I just don't like the guy. After getting the spotlight in '08 he got a little too big for his britches. He whines, he runs his mouth, he impregnates his wife so that she's due during the postseason, he spends time doing commericals for Era caps, Comcast and Espn when maybe he could be working on his mental fortitude (link here to one of his terribly awkward commericals), and he gives up on his team (as was evidenced late in the season last year), and there's just not room for that in Philly. I've heard he's worked hard in the offseason to squash these faults of his, and I guess we'll just have to sit back and wait and see. It's gonna take a lot to change my opinion of the guy though. He is literally the only guy on the team whom I wouldn't be proud to wear his name on the back of my Phillies t-shirt. As for last night's game, I remain on the fence. He got rattled a bit after the homerun and walked 4, but he did get a double offensively (I'm trying to find good in him, I really am...). I was however really impressed by the amount of Phillies Phaithful in the Nationals Stadium (they seemed like the only people in the park!), and for the efforts of Durbin and Madson who both rose to the occasion to bring home the save for the win. Howard's second homer in as many games wasn't too shabby either. Maybe tonight he can go 3 for 3...

[Phillies Sod.]

Pic via here.

Oh, and I'm also disappointed by the lack of announcements for Phillies sod sales - did they sell out already?!

Would you like some sod with that opener?

[What up ma Boo?]
Pic via here.

Well Philadelphia fans, I hope you've got your batteries ready, because we are well into the start of the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies baseball season. Time to defend that NLCS title and bring that World Series trophy back home where it belongs. I cannot tell you how excited I have been for this season to get started, as well as to try out our new mlb.tv subscription in France. After a few glitches we were able to hear Ryan Howard's first homer of the season (we had the radio broadcast on by mistake), and the first at-bat we saw was Polanco's grand slam. Due to our slow internet connection it took a little while longer to watch the game, and unfortunately much of the game we saw was on the Nationals broadcast channel (we finally got it working and didn't want to risk losing the picture again to switch to Sarge, Wheels and McCarthy), which was actually pretty entertaining. This could be due to the fact that they spent the majority of the time talking about how much of a stud Halladay is, how the Phillies have a "type" of player that they fill the roster with that makes them so stud-ly, and yah know, basically everything besides the Nationals and baseball at large. We were able to switch over to the WPHL 17 broadcast in the 7th, but unfortunately Sarge was already gone - I am still anxiously awaiting my first "It's cadillac time" of the 2010 season. Two awesome things of note from the Philly broadcast:

1. They're selling sod. SOD. Sod from very special games. And I want it. I don't know why I want it, maybe because it's just so ridiculous and it makes me want it more. It looks like dog turds covered in tea leaves on a pedestal. I thought it was a joke at first, like something that would be for sale on "Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job," but nope, totally real. WOW.

2. There's a new dvd out, called "Legends of the Fall," chronicling some of the recent years post season highs and lows - and the commentator? None other than Raul Ibanez. RAUL IBANEZ. I love Raaaauuuul, don't get me wrong, but seriously, am I the only one who finds this funny? They couldn't choose Dreamboat Chase Utley, or ma boo Ryan Howard? Made my night nonetheless.

Either way, it was a great 11-1 win over the Nats, and it was great to see so many Phils fans in the stands in D.C. - in fact it looked like a 3-1 ratio of Phils fans to Nats fans. I'm hoping this mlb.tv continues to hold up its end of the bargain and allows me many more times of screaming at my laptop for all of France to hear the glory that be the Fightin' Phils. Now if only a 7:05 PM start time didn't translate to a 1:05 AM start time here...

Oh, and as if this wasn't as good a time as any, it's ice cream for Chooch time.

Ferney Market Week #7; also known as Tartiflette Night...

Friday started out lovely despite the rain, because we had gotten word from the post office that we had a package waiting for us, and it was from none other than Momma and Poppa Jaffe! What a nice surprise filled with goodies that we can't get here - thanks mom and dad!!!

Later that night, our good buddy Jimmy Degs came over for a little Tartiflette, steamed broccoli, and to watch one of my all-time favorite TV series, "The League." We ended up watching the whole season because it's only 6 episodes long, and once you've started watching you just can't stop. Can't wait for new episodes coming in the fall...Just don't forget to respect the pause...

Saturday we were market bound, as per usual. The weather was wet, cold and windy, and we weren't even sure how many of our regular vendors would be out. Luckily for us our olive guy, our coffee peeps, our yogurt couple, our cheese guys, and our Italian produce guys were all there, so it was worthwhile to brave the ickyness.



[A weekend dejuener.]
[Fresh rosemary and Grisotte.]
[Morbier, brie, parma, and chorizo.]

And with that, I am officially caught up with posting! Yeah! It's unfortunate that I don't have a lot to report from this week as it's rained pretty much since last Friday. It's sunny out now, and hopefully that will continue into the weekend and we can go on more fun adventures and takes lots of more photos. Lots of excitement coming up though as we move to Thoiry in t minus 16 days, and the Phillies open up in 4 days, 3 hours and 25 minutes (but who's counting?!)...

Speakin' of the Fightin' Phils, anyone else ecstatic about Moyer getting the 5th spot in the rotation? Because I am le ecstatic! Way to go old man!!!

Well hello Jayson, please introduce us to your new friend...

Pic via Todd Zolecki

I'm, I'm just speechless. It's beautiful. I just can't stop starrrring at it. It is none other then the wonder, the evolution, the testament of my dear adopted-but-he-doesn't-quite-know-it-brother, Jayson Werth's beard. Ya know, I've been looking for a good picture to really address the fact that Pitchers and Catchers have reported down in Clearwater, but THIS my dear reader friends gives me my reason to put on a Phillies cap everyday (as if I needed anymore reasons). I wonder if they will give the beard it's own number, or if it will become #28A. The philosophy of Jay Wert's facial conundrum could flow down many avenues, however, I think the most prominent and irrefutable is that it is common knowledge amongst those in civilized society that men are most prepared to handle any scenario, such as bears, when bearded in such a manner. Nothing says, "Jeter I am gonna eat your babies for breakfast covered in Cholula" quite like a beard like this. Or "I'm ready to hit a line drive to yo' face Chan Ho Park" (who just signed with those bastard Yankees) like this mug shot. And what I am most excited OF ALL for is the faceoff (ha) between Jay Wert's beard and Myers Chin-beard when they take on the Astros for a facial hair throwdown. Ahhh I can smell the dollar dogs right around the corner...

BRING. IT. BITCHES.

3 days, 18 hours and 39 minutes...

So it's been a couple of days since I've posted a countdown picture in ode to Pitchers and Catchers reporting down in Clearwater, but moving around the world will do that to a gal. I was going to try to avoid using another Clifton Pfifer Lee picture, however this was too funny/sad and I can't help myself. We landed in Frankfurt, Germany en route to Geneve, Switzerland early on Friday morning, and while we were waiting to board our delayed flight Dan picked up a USA Today for us to peruse. I stole the Sports section from him and low and behold on page 2 is this large picture of Clifton Pfifer - and talking about how Seattle made out like bandits. As if that is what I needed after an 8 hour TransAtlantic flight at 7 AM in GERMANY. Kind of funny but kind of sadddd. Le sigh.

7 days, 17 hours and 1 minute...

Pic via The Fightins.

In case of emergency use stairs...Matt Stairs that is. Or, er, was. Le sigh. Another one bites the dust. Clifton is off to Seattle, Stairs is off to San Diego, and my dear Pat "Tight Pants" Burrell has been in Tampa since just after the 2008 World Series win. But we'll always have the memories with Matt Stairs, like his infamous "Moonshot" 2 run homer that set us up to win game 4 of the 2008 NLCS against the Dodgers. And he was Harry Kalas' (RIP) last called home run on April 12th against the Rockies, the day before Harry's passing. I mean, c'mon, this man is a freaking animal-lumberjack-could-beat-up-Chuck-Norris-Canadian - he's just a beast. What the hell is a man like that going to do in San Diego? There's no wilderness for him to tame. No snakes for him to eat alive with his bare hands. No Philadelphia rats the size of cats packing heat for him to beat into submission. How are we ("I") going to continue to make "I heard Matt Stairs..." jokes whilst he is in a sunny, warm, happy place like San Diego? I repeat: Le sigh. Well so long and farewell Matt Stairs, I will celebrate you next on November 27th - official Matt Stairs Day (Canada). Don't forget the sunscreen for your move to Cali.

BT - dubbs: The man also coaches high school ice hockey in Maine too - how cool is that?!

8 days, 19 hours, 40 minutes...

Today's Phillies image is not quite an image but a video from Game 4 of the NLCS against the Dodgers. It was cold. We drank beer. We ate Tony Lukes. We waved rally towels in the way they were meant to be waved. We boo-ed the hell outta Manny. And when it looked like all hope was lost to bring the series to 3-1, J-Roll hit a dinger in between right and center, bringing a few home and winning the game. We jumped around so much that my cousin almost pushed me down the stairs. I think my uncle also lost his phone. I wish I could still find the clip on You Tube of the guys over at CSN's reaction to the hit, because Barkann and Bo were like little kids ("THAT'S WINNING THE GAME!") while Dutch remained a stoic (probably trying to figure out if he has enough food rations for the 2012 Apocalypse). It was classic. Just like this game.


Ok I added an image anyways. Me and Caos, and some random dude before the game. Can't wait for another postseason.

9 Days, 9 Hours, 20 minutes...

Pic via here.

...until Pitchers and Catchers report. My happiness is only outdone by my psyched-ness. I know I had incorrectly mentioned in an earlier post that Pitchers and Catchers had reported last Wednesday - I was wrong. I was caught up in one of the best posts I've ever read on The Fightin's involving a return of the diatribe and revenge of the Chinbeard (whom I dearly miss already) and I realized that his talking about reporting to Spring Training was for his cursed NEW team, the Astros. (BOOO Hissss BOOO!) So I stand corrected and will wait on bated breathe until the official report day. However, in honor of the future return of baseball, I will post one picture a day involving the Phillies. Yeah!

Here is a little gem I don't think anyone will ever forget: Game 1 of the 2009 World Series. Yankees stadium. Clifton Pfifer Lee on the hill. Big hopes and dreams that had yet to be squashed in our hearts. No notion of the future and lack thereof for Clifton Pfifer Lee in the red and white pinstripes. There's only this moment, and I believe the caption could read something to the effect of,

"Hmm, ya know. I could really use a baseball. Oh look there's one now." - Clifton Pfifer Lee

Oh, now I'm sad. My plan kind of backfired. Shit.