The White Night

Bought a van, a BIIIIG van, a 2009 Renault Master (a perfectly good French name) with 42000 km (25,000 miles) in early June. Had windows put in on one side and the two back doors and took possession June 30. So now we’re in the midst of the renos…insulation, a bed, a place for the three bikes inside, storage, fridge, stove, a place to hide our drugs …and like that. We certainly hope to find room for a mandatory wine cellar. If we can’t, we’ll just have to drink it all as we buy it…frankly, Dawn does not consider that much of a problem!! We had to give our home for the next two years a name. Take a look at the picture. In a soft tone of voice, I suggested “Snow Flake”. In a forceful tone of voice, Dawn suggested “The White Knight”. After much discussion…and drinking…we agreed on, “The White Night”…no K on night. A bit of a play on words what with the fact that it’s white, and it’s where we’ll be at night.

While spending time in car dealerships, one sees the info shown on a card for each car; price, gas consumption, etc. And something we don’t see…CO2 production…are ya listening North America?

And there is something where the French are waaaaaay ahead of us. Getting around the “I lost my driver’s license” issue. France allows the so-called Smart cars to be driven here without a driver’s license. So…you’ve had too many speeding tickets? Caught drunken driving? The result is no driver’s license? No problem. Forget the pricey lawyer. Buy a Smart car for which you do not…repeat…do not need a driver’s license…and away ya go. “Wave, wave. Bye, bye. Have fun now.” Don’t forget to send your comments to www.go-figure.dum. And, while watching the Tour de France, a comment was made that the diameter of lentils in France are regulated to specific and allowable diameters. There you have it…France is now officially the most bureaucratic place ON THE PLANET!!! Once again, send comments to www.go-figure.com. Probably should send condolences in this particular case. Weather has turned cooler; to below seasonal norms with more clouds and a few showers; wild wind storms. But still managing to get a few rides in. The Tour de France is so impressed of our riding styles that they rode within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of us to check out our style. We didn’t bother to go see almost 200 riders streak by in a few seconds after standing there for hours. We watched it on TV instead. We found an excellent red wine sold in 5 liter boxes. This “Chateau Cardboard” works out to $1.70 Cdn per 750 ml bottle. We’re accepting orders now, in boatload quantities only please, and we DO accept credit cards (or direct access to your bank account, whichever you prefer). We’ve found an equivalently amazing rose (pronounced “ROSE-EH!!) for a similar outrageous price. The problem is that Dawn is not always satisfied with the size of glass given her or the amount in the glass. Oh well!!

On a more sober (no pun intended) note, and a true story… The last lines of an actual poem written by a Japanese soldier just after World War II just a few days before being executed for a war crime for which he was wrongly accused:
“Certainly some day, as I look back over my past,
I will quietly see my life with a smile.”
The point? Simply be as good a person as you can be, and create a life for which you can be satisfied.