An American in Provence

Today I am going to talk about something very important and historic, that is very close to my heart....
A momentous occasion that just happened that has worldwide ramifications.
No, not the election.
I am talking about:
Happy Birthday to Me!

Yes, today is my 29th birthday. Goodness, I am getting up there.

Today is the saint day Sainte Bertille. Yuck. Thank goodness I wasn't named for the saint upon whose day I was born. Actually, I don't really have a Saint Day. I guess the closest would have to be Sainte Marguerite, November 16th. Close enough.

And tomorrow is Alain's and my 5 year dating anniversary.
We were office mates in graduate school (he was doing his postdoc) at the University of Virginia. When I arrived in the office, he was up in New York- he went every other month to IBM to do some experiments. Another student (playing matchmaker I know, she confessed) put me in his office.
I thought "I hope he is either really cute, or if he isn't really cute, that he isn't around much." Well, unfortunately he was both: cute and not around very much.
Anyway, I told him that my birthday was Nov. 6th and he invited me out for drinks the day after to celebrate. Wasn't sure if it was a date or not, but I tried my hardest and even if it wasn't a date to start with, it ended up one!
Five years later, here we are: five years older for one thing.
But also married, living in France, and owning an apartment (even if I want to firebomb it from time to time).
Also quite sick of questions of when little tadpoles are going to arrive, so don't even start.