Off to France in March...Hmmmm

Yes, we did that.  Came here in early March, stayed here three days recovering from the damned flight over the "Pond" and the associated travails it affords us.  We rented a car this time from EuroCar whoever they were, they were cheap online but once at CDG they were s-l-o-w to assign the car, then I found out why, they didn't have one of what I wanted and so, of course, a much larger beast was available for only a small token expense more.  So while they young man typed away at his PC to assign us top the car, a system that should be ready to deliver a car in a moments notice took 45 minutes!  That was just to get papers on the counter, dealing with them afterwards took another 30 minutes!  Good god!  We were sooo tired and then had to face the awful Paris traffic on the fucking ring road.  So once in the car, loaded with every bag on our inventory plus 2 cats in carriers stacked on top we were off to find the on ramp to the ring road and, of course, I maneuver our fine vehicle into the wrong lane and wind up going exactly the wrong direction from what I had so carefully plotted.  Shit, shit, shit.  Never fails, snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.  So off we go across the rolling hills of northeaster France for some good ways, 30 minutes I estimate before we detect that the fault has been made and we are indeed not going to get where we want by this roadway.  We take a while to find a turn off and return to this roadway going the other way.  Nearing Charles De Gaulle once more we decide to just "go over the top" (of Paris that is) "it'll be way shorter!".  Driving on, we go through about as mindless an exercise as one familiar with Paris traffic could do. We struggle "over the top" and drop down on the western side of the fine "City of Lights" and fight traffic we do!  The freeway system here MUST have been designed by Cal Trans of California highway construction fame.  Knots!  that's what has been built, knots!  Interlacing wonder-ment built in beautiful French style with beautiful roundabouts covered with flowers leading to a dozen different ways to get somewhere we didn't want to go!  Grrrrrrr.  I was so stressed, Kelly kept petting my shoulder trying to calm the raging me inside.  Fuck!  This was NOT in "The Plan" let me tell you, NOT AT ALL!  We added at least two hours to whatever trip south to Lignieres this was going to be by this "shortcut across the top".  Eventually, I calmed and we found ourselves on the A71 South. Yes, somewhat later in the day than we wished but it was, indeed, the highway of our dreams and destination.  We cruised.  Home as the day darkened at 4:30, we shuffled to our respective bedrooms and fell away to the haven of sleep.  The cats did not. 

The AAA News

Well I went to Kiaser Vallejo as indicated for the appointment with the AAA surgeon (Abdominal Aortal Aneurysm).  Traffic near the hospital was as awful as ever, so much so that K dropped me off near as she could get to the front lobby of the medical office building so wouldn't be late.  As it was I was in the act of sitting down in the Surgery Dept. when the nurse came out to retrieve me for the doctor!  I urged her to allow K to get there but she insisted and said they would rush her in as soon as she got there.  So in typical Kaiser visits, onto the scale, 211.2 lbs fully clothed w/shoes, then blood pressure which was high for me as I was rushing from the car to the office and up a flight of stairs just 3 minutes before.  She took it two times, both right and left sides...by the time of the last one it was 127 orver 72...boringly normal.  Then K showed up and we wandered down the halls to the exam room, where the doctor appeared to us in a very untypical 2 minutes or so!  This place is fast!
Doctor Lee was cheerful, kind and explained the entire status of my AAA situation and quickly informed us that I was not going to be operated on right away as the AAA was not bulged enough.  She stated that it was 4.5cm and they would not consider operating until it was 5.5cm.  OK, so what does that mean for our trip to France?  They will recheck all of the size business when we return in late August.  Fantastic!  Such relief I haven't felt of anything in a long, long time!  I was expecting far worse news than this. We were excused and left with much joy.  Then I offered K to go to her 2nd hand store and I would wait watching the birds over the estuary.  Then home for left over pasta w/pork ragu for lunch.