We thought we needed an Alice

Remember the show The Brady Bunch? There were six kids, two parents and a "housekeeper".  What I really love is how "everyone got along" - Also, there was never any mention of the kids other parents.  Poof, it was like the other parents (meaning the mom of the boys and the dad of the girls) never existed.

But, Alice existed.  She was there from the very beginning.  I remember her wearing a "maid's uniform" and remember her in the kitchen, but I'm not sure what she "really" did on the show.  Maybe laundry.  Maybe cooking.  She got to live with them too.

While in Paris, we've had an Alice.  Only her name is Scottie.  She's not living here.  She comes in three times a week, with groceries and cooks.  We don't even have to be here.  She will prepare the meal (or meals) and leave notes on how to heat them up.

My running buddy so graciously invited us all to stay at an apartment he rented for the month.  A three bedroom, two bath apartment right by the tour de Eiffel.  The apartment is beautiful by any standards - HUGE by French standards.  He also found Scottie to help us all out.

The meals have been incredible.  With leftovers and extra dishes to supplement the other days.

For example, she made a huge batch on lentils (small green legumes) sauteed with onions, broth and carrots.  You can eat them warm for dinner (as we did) - the the rest you serve cold (the lentils) with a warm egg on top for breakfast.  I think we ate that every morning (along side our croissants and pastries from the bakery around the corner).

Yesterday, my running buddy and I went to Champagne for the day.  What a fun day.  Toured Taittinger and of course had to stop by Veuve-Cliquot.  It was a long day.  We left at 7am to the metro.  To the train to Reims (the town) to the Cathedral (The Cathedral where France and Germany made a "pact" to be friends again in the 60's - apologizing to each other for past regressions) to Taittinger (champagne) where we were able to go in "Caves" where champagne is stored that was from the original church built in the 4th century.  The walls were chalk and soft - when you touched them they were clammy and helped control the humidity for the champagne.

Lunch.  Walking through the town and the train back to Paris (about a 40 minute ride).  I think I dozed off on the train.  There might even have been some drool.

Then to the metro.  Wait, let's just stop right here and cool down.  (I'm not sure how people actually live in cities like this - it's grimy, it's busy and it's dirty.)  Have a beer and watch people walk by.

It's now close to 8pm.  We walk back to the apartment.  Dinner was waiting in the fridge with instructions on how to heat it up.

I think everyone needs a Scottie.