give me drugs or give me death.

that jolly time of year has come...kendra's fall dose of sinusitis. at this time last year, i was in paris. this time around, im in paris again. last year: drugs were easily had. this year: i tell the pharmacist that i am tired and feel like shit and tell him that my face hurts and that im coughing up yellow stuff (desolee for the visual) and what do i get? some powder to mix with water that will magically cure my woes, and (drum roll, please), fucking caffeine pills. yes, caffeine. as if i need any more of that. of course i do not realize that they are caffeine pills while i am there as the box does not magically say CAFFEINE PILLS in big bold letters - it simply looks like a box that will contain my cure. if i still feel like hell tomorrow, i am going to rue oberkampf to my old pharmacie and i will find the woman who gave me prescriptions twice last year. ten euros and i had myself two boxes of amoxicillyn and a bottle of nasal spray; this time around, twenty euros and i have caffeine pills. eh, at least they'll be helpful during exam time when i return in spring. you really never know what you're gonna get when you go to the pharmacie here. i wonder if i flat out said, give me strong drugs, he would have given them to me. ha, he said these were strong (i asked for something stronger and he said these were strong enough). i want something to knock me on my ass, pass out for two days, and wake up and say, "wow, i love my neighborhood pharmacist. she makes me feel better."

i did not go to work today. there is a metro strike that started last night at 8 and is continuing through today, possibly into the weekend. if it is going on tomorrow, i will have to walk to work - a good two hour stroll. actually, mappy.fr said it would take two hours; im guessing that they use someone who actually has a decent pace, not a saunter such as yours truly has. i hope the strike ends quickly so i can take my favorite mode of transportation (riiiiiite) - the fabulous metro. an interesting thing was seen today in the parisian streets as a result of this strike: an ATV. yes, parked in between the bicycles and motorcycles that zip down the parisian streets was a big honkin' 4-wheeler. i wonder where they live and where this vehicle is normally stored. i just do not really see why one would have a need for such a contraption in paris - do they go zipping through the bois du bolougne or vincennes? do they haul bails of hay? i was just very confused by this.

in addition to the metro strike, nicolas sarkozy got another blow; he and his chic wife have officially filed for divorce. oh snap! maybe his broken heart will decide to give the metro workers what they want.

as i was in franprix today buying juices and soups, i had some good memories. i bought some bonne maman rhubarb jam (which i am very excited to try!) and i thought of dear lana, as we used to eat bonne maman jam on fresh baguette with real butter when we were pissed off at life. i also walked down a whole aisle of chocolate-covered biscuits and bought a box of le petit skateboarder (sorry, i dont know the translation for skateboarder now, and do not feel like getting up to look at the box for the correct mot), rather than le petit ecolier, and couldn't help but reminisce about me and my darling friend richard eating such biscuits. america does not have enough biscuits. too many cookies. dear george bush: i would like america to have more biscuits. there are too many oreos. sincerely, kendra.

now, on a very very very happily wonderful note, i would like to announce that my wonderful friend leslie will be coming to visit yours truly on december 14. the countdown is on. i wonder if i could find a cool countdown clock like my new time clocks. (god, im a computer genius!)

ok, it is now time for me to heat up some red wine and watch a movie. ive decided that vin chaud is my new solution to everything...it will loosen my cough and put me to sleep. what could really be better? (oh yeah, feeling healthy!)