Chapter #10 Outline
"TRAVELING"
In the beginning of this chapter, I tell how my fancy man, Pierre, generously pays all expenses for my mother’s yearly vacations to Paris. I describe our side trip to Alsace on the French-German border, where most locals are not quite sure of their nationality, and driving the “Wine Route” enjoying the beauty of the endless rows of thick, lush vines; heavy with succulent, glistening, green grapes. I go on to describe Pierre’s, Sport’s, and my winter vacations in my mother’s home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Pierre wisely returns to Paris before Christmas, leaving me with a yearly list of repairs, including leaky faucets, and the never-ending, running toilet. Replacing ball cocks becomes my specialty, jokingly asking Mom if she is renting her toilet out to the public! I cannot figure out how one little woman can wear out so many ball cocks!
Pierre, Sport, and I have always spent many weeks every year traveling, and I continue by explaining the ordeal of renting a car, becoming the full-time, designated driver, and Pierre’s, still valid driver’s license, issued sometime during the reign of Mussolini and Hitler! I describe our first visit to the Côte azure, and at the airport in Nice, Pierre choosing a car with stick shift, suffering thru the next half-hour of mistaking the brake for the clutch! It is a challenge trying to read a map while jerking along with Sport standing on my lap, tongue hanging out, dribbling, and the wind blowing his extra-long ears into an upsweep. I tell of my appearance when reaching our hotel, looking like a victim of molestation with massive bruising on my inner thighs. I have Sport’s hefty, tap dancing toes to thank for this, by testing to see how far he can dangle his long body over the edge of my door!
The remaining pages tell of our visit during that memorable vacation, to nearby Monte Carlo, winning at the roulette table on Friday, June 13, by ignoring Pierre’s pitiful protest, and placing all my chips on black 13! I finish by describing the steep, mountain road on our way home to Beaulieu-sur-Mer that evening, and my last minute, skidding stop on a gravel turn off, to satisfy my munchies at a roadside, food stand. Pierre, in shock, with his arms outstretched, bracing himself against the dashboard in anticipation of his impending demise! I describe the beautiful view while sitting at the little table, only feet from the edge of the mountain, and gnawing on our jaw-breaking ham sandwiches on baguettes. Being very late, we are the only customers enjoying the shimmering reflection of the full moon shining on the rippling Mediterranean below. With all this beauty, sharing it with my cherished and tolerant lover makes it absolutely perfect!