"Un ticket, si vous plait."

Pic: Bus ride.

Hey guys! Yes, I know I have internet now, but that doesn't mean I am going to blog three pages about my trip to the bathroom the other day. I want to be able to sit down and write about some beefy stuff. Thanks for the comments and I want to tell you guys that I miss and love you guys very much.

So on Thursday the only thing that I had to do was conduct practice for the Mixed Softball team. I have keys to the whole complex now and it is pretty much understood that I will be the one running the whole sha-bang from now on. But before I would go to practice, I was going to get in a really good run.
The forrest park next to my place starts on a pretty steep hill. I stupidly didn't pace myself to well and starting sprinting up it like a maniac. I was like, "Shit...I'm already tired." HAHA, that reminds me of the Gaffigan routine with the "Getting up Early."
"Jim, you gotta get up on 530Am on Tuesday."
"AWWW FUCK."
"You wanna go see a movie?"
"No, I gotta get up on Tuesday. I should go to bed now."
But I would not let my mistake keep me from having a long run. So I had an adrenaline push with a good song and darted through the forest. I took a different path with intentions of not running into Harry the Homeless Guy. So I was running down a path and just turned off my music...
I just listened to how silent and peacefull everything was. It is hard to get completely out of life and just be surrounded by the fresh sound of nature. But there I was, no music, no noise, and the sound that was heard was the light sound of my feet joggin on the path. It was extremely therapeutic. I noticed that there were little obstacles on the different cross roads. They are exactly the same kind of obstacle exercises that used to be on the Phelps Grove park. The pullups made of just wood, walking along a skinny wooden plank, crunches on an oddly shape tree stump, as well as other interesting exercises. I did everyone of them. I gotta admit...I felt like a hard ass. So I came to the end of the path into the forest and started manuevering back. I was taking different paths back to change scenery then I noticed that Harry's house was on my close right. I quickly backtraced to another path and continued home. It was a great run. I will take the 8 bus to one of France's national forest's for my upcoming runs and can't wait.

I know Mom is freaking out right now about bears or ManBearPig's but I assure you that I am really carefull.

I was drained when I got back to my house and made my signature Egg Baskets and took a nap before I would tackle the bus for the first time.
So I mapped it out. I was going to take the 8 bus to La Verene and get off and wait for the 40 to take me into Bois-Guillaume. And if the 40 didn't show I was going to hop back onto the 8 to hit the 7 further down if the 40 was taking too much time. Some buses run more frequently than others and I understood that the 40 isn't a major route. So I was well prepared. Now, the biggest obstacle was facing me.

Asking for a damn ticket.

So I stood at the bus stop with other kids that were just let out of school next to my apt. I waited...waited...and waited. The 8. There she is. Alright. Here we go.
The bus stopped and the kids quickly piled on but as I was about 2 feet from the door step the door closed the bus was taking off! WHAT THE FUCK!? So like a freaking idiot I was running alongside of the bus with my American arms flailing in the air. The kids noticed that I needed to get on the bus so they pushed the button to open the door for me.
Well dammit.
I just sat down, completely dejected, and didn't purchase a ticket from the asshole behind the wheel. Charles told me that he used to never buy a ticket but he does now because at random times a ticket checker comes onto the bus at random stops and checks people's tickets and if they don't have a ticket, it is an automatic 50 Euro fine. I didn't want to draw anymore attention to myself by getting up and walking to the front of the bus so I just cursed to myself in my seat hoping that a uniformed Ticket Checker wasn't going to hope on the next stops.

But what do you think happened on the third stop?

You betcha. A fucking uniformed Ticket Checker stepped onto the bus. I was nervous. My stop to connect to the 40 was coming up on the next stop and I hope that that would be short enough time to quickly make my exit off the bus. The Checker was making his way towards the middle of the bus, me at the back. The bus finally stopped as sweat was forming on my forehead. I quickly got off and released a big breath of air.

So I was thinking that I would wait awhile for the 40 but it was right on the tail of the 8 I was on and I quickly got on the bus avoiding the mistake that I commited earlier. I bought my ticket.

"Un ticket, si vous plait."

So I made it to practice with time to spare and we had a great workout. I am learning so much about coaching and just being around a different culture. I can not tell you the thrill of seeing improvement in swings. I actually am starting to come through to these guys. Paul is just drastically improved and he notices it. I make it a point not to give praise until it is due. I learned that you do not constantly give positive comments constantly because after a while it just falls on deaf ears. So when I actually give these kids a positive praise, a grin spreads from ear to ear. The feeling is amazing.

I love you guys and I will post again soon. I had horse for dinner tonight. A story in of itself. Au revior.