Mon Anniversaire!

For the first time in 8 years, it didn't rain on my birthday. Frankly, I was shocked. But it was rather pleasant all the same. I want to thank everyone for their birthday wishes, I had a most wonderful and pleasant birthday, and I shall now endeavour to recount the details.

So...Saturday, the day before my birthday, I found myself at the civic center of Marennes. The bball club was hosting a loto as a fundraiser. A loto is basically bingo. And there were some really fantastic prizes! But the majority of the 300 people there were over the age of 50. And they were serious bingo players! Tired of not winning, I started to talk to my neighbor only to be interupted by a loud "SHHH!!!" Wow. Loto is intense. So, I decided to construct a pyramid of bingo chips which entertained me mightily for some time. I watched as the 8 year old Lea used her own money to buy bingo cards and every possible item from the snack bar...she was very proud of the fact that she had paid for it. And she was so sure she was going to win too...welp, teach em young that gambling doesn't pay. Anyhoo, at midnight (I wasn't aware that it was midnight as I was constructing the hanging gardens of Bingolon), Thierry interupted number calling to say, "Today, the 22nd of February, in the United States, is a very important day". Oh crap. So, basically he announced my birthday in front of 300 people, made me stand up and then the lights went out and Fabrice came on to the stage with a birthday cake. So, I had to walk up in front of all those people and blew out my candles. It was embarrassing, but very nice of them too. After all of the people had left, Fabrice hauled out an enormous box and told me it was my birthday present. At the top of the box was a wreath made out of oyster shells (oyster shells aren't the prettiest) that I was made to wear around my neck so that pictures could be taken. I was told later that this oyster shell rings are lowered into water to attract baby oysters or something like that. Anyhoo, since Fabrice works for a beverage company, there were a ton of little things in the box that he had probably gotten for free from work...all stamped with alcohol brands. And I don't drink! But I did get this super sweet shirt that says "Staff" that I like great deal (even though it also says Smirnoff Ice...boo). But it was fun to pull out random things like dice and dominoes and nutella and hamburger buns and apricot jam. And then Fabrice brought me something very very nice. He gave me two books about the Charente-Maritime. Now I can share my lovely home with all of you! I can show you all of the forts, and ancent roman cities...everything! Laurent gave me a BBMB tshirt that my entire team had signed. Benoit signed "ton marié (husband)...I love you" which made me laugh. Lea had written "Je t'aimme fort" spelling aime incorrectly, but adding to its cuteness. All in all, a wonderful evening.

I spent most of the morning of my birthday marveling that it was sunny and reading a detective novel in my bed. All of a sudden, I received an text message from Melany which said they were coming to pick me up. I was like...ok. So...I got dressed (I'm entitled to spend the day in my pjs on my birthday!) and went down to meet the Cortieux family, namely Fabrice (my coach), his wife, and their daughter Melany (my teammate). I asked what we would be doing and they told me we were going to a puppy convention! That's right...you heard me. Breeders had come together and were selling puppies...they cost a pretty penny but that didn't stop one from petting all of the puppies. Pug puppies are the cutest. They snort like little piggies and are so potbellied with their curly pig tails. It was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we drove along the coast and stopped at Fort Vauban...another one of the many forts along the coast of the Charente Maritime. The sun was setting and you could just make out Fort Boyard (an island fortress) silhouetted against the horizon. From there, Fabrice treated me to dinner at a pizzeria (pizzerias in France are waaay more posh than they are in the states). I had "Exotique" pizza (French for hawaiian pizza) and it was delicious. All in all a most wonderful birthday. So...I think I'll go finish that detective novel now...