Roland Garros 2008 - Day 15

Woke up today feeling better than I had in a few days, but still not enough to merit a run.  I guess I fell short of my goal in that regard.  Today is the Women's final which means we're about to wrap this thing up.  I started doing some of my packing to get mostly items I won't need access to out of the way and allow me a bit more time to get ready and out the door on the day I leave.

I agreed to go in early and let Brian come in late.  His girlfriend is here and I am sure he appreciates it but he wouldn't actually say anything.  So, one more good walk to the metro and from the metro and I'm at work one more time.  At least it won't be a very long day.

I left early, for no reason other than I could.  I walked to the metro, purchased some additional tickets (I managed to run just short by two days) and got out another cash advance (I just ran out of Euros as well.)  I got back to the hotel and did a bit more packing.  I now have almost everything packed other than the clothes I have on, and the items I'll need for tomorrow morning.  I decided to get out and watch some of the first Euro Cup 2008 match.  It wasn't one I cared about, but sitting in a bar watching sports of any kind is never a bad thing.  I went back to the pub that offered Kilkenny on draft and settled in.

I got bored watching the match and started playing on my iPhone.  A Malaysian man next to me leaned over to see what I was doing and spilled his Guinness onto the bar, the floor, his lap, and my right leg!  Oh well, I wasn't planning to wear the jeans again this trip so other than being a bit wet I didn't really mind.  What I did mind was that he decided to start injecting himself into my personal space and to attempt to talk about how important the US president was.  He had the audacity to claim that who I voted for as the next president had significant impact on his life.  I couldn't even accept that premise, and I tried to explain to him that voting for 5 presidents in my lifetime has seen absolutely zero change in my daily life and for him to claim so living in a country other than the US was ludicrous.  He tried to argue a couple of times, and I finally told him that I'd given him the chance to end it and he either could, or I would end it for him.  I was dead serious and to prove my point I stood up and moved to the other side of the bar.

Left to meet Steve for dinner.  It was Italian again.  This time, it was a place around the corner from an Italian place I wasn't all that impressed with.  This one had a daily menu out front, which was an indicator they served different foods depending on their mood.  We got in just in time as we didn't have to wait and suddenly there was a queue out the door waiting for a table.  My appetizer was more than my main, which was comical.  It was quite good altogether.  We had two carafes of house red which weren't bad.

Went back to the hotel, but it was still early and I was in the mood for a couple more pints.  Back to the Kilkenny I went!  I had two more pints, lost at darts to a Scottish couple and watched a Frenchman try to pick up a Swedish woman 15 years older than he was.  It was all comical and entertaining, but it only served to remind me how isolated I really was and how much I wanted to be home.

I got back to the room and saw that French television on Saturday night never is the same.  They were showing hard core pornography on one of the channels, but their exit was to show the -18 logo which means none under 18 should view.  Crazy stuff, but they are far more mellow about sex and consider violence that American television shows to be far more obscene.  Hard to say, so I'll let you judge.

I left a drunk message on Colleen's phone and on the home phone.  I did all my nightly routine and then fell into bed, knowing that tomorrow would be the last day I'd have to worry about work for a bit.

Cheers!