Absinthe, Art & a Spiny Devil

Absinthe, Art & a Spiny Devil

by Rasmenia Comment Closed
La fée verte. The green fairy. Absinthe.No one is quite certain as to the details of its origin, but absinthe was made famous here in France. Of course, it had a little help from guys like Picasso......and my personal favorite, Degas.There are plenty more, but you get the idea.Many people, when they think of absinthe, automatically think of Paris somewhere around the late 19th century or early 20th century.Maybe other people think of this movie.For most people, absinthe conjures up images of artists, writers, bohemians...Paris cafés and cabarets.I doubt that there are many people who associate absinthe with this.What the hell is that? Well, that is Eurycantha Horrida. But, you can call him Spiny Devil Walking Stick. Doesn't he look delicious? Imagine Spiny marinating in a nice bottle of absinthe for who knows how long.Nope. I'm not jerking you around. It's true. For the low price of only $156.66 (€107.15), you can have this:Personally, I don't understand the appeal. If...
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Fantastic Pharmacy Fun

Fantastic Pharmacy Fun

by Rasmenia Comment Closed
One thing that you can always find in Paris is a pharmacie. Any time that you're out walking around in the streets, just take a look around you & no doubt you will see the neon green cross that will guide your way toward the salvation that only prescription medicine, band aids & medicated ointments can provide.Naturally, once you get inside, it's a bit smaller than most American drug stores & it's all business in there.Perhaps you're thinking, "Well, of course it's all business...it's a damn pharmacy. What else would you do in there?"Well, here's the thing: at some American drug stores, say...like a Walgreen's, there is a lot more to do inside. You don't even have to need any prescription medication, band aids or medicated ointments to have a good time in there. Really, you don't even have to buy anything. Just peruse the aisles for something ridiculous - which you will have no problem finding - & have...
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Bibles, Bikes, Chocolate & Wigs

Bibles, Bikes, Chocolate & Wigs

by Rasmenia Comment Closed
One day, Olivier & I were walking around here in Paris with some friends. We passed a shop that I had never seen before & which immediately struck me as being odd. The sign in front read "Vélo et Chocolat". In plain English, it said: "Bicycle & Chocolate".Evidently, you can get a bicycle here & some bars of chocolate. Interesting marketing idea. It's true that chocolate goes with anything, it's just that I had never been riding a bicycle while thinking to myself, "Hmm...yeah...a thick bar of chocolate sure would hit the spot right about now".Naturally, this one-stop shopping idea isn't unique to Paris, or even to Europe at all. Before I moved to France, when I was living in the small town of Loveland, Colorado, there in the downtown area was a fabulous mecca of one-stop shopping: Probasco's.Yep...that's right. Bibles & wigs all in one amazing shop.It looks like both countries like the bizarre two-in-one stores. So, we're not...
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The Bouillabaisse Binge

The Bouillabaisse Binge

by Rasmenia Comment Closed
Okay... most people are aware of the fact that the food here in France is fucking incredible. I mean, they can even make this nasty, slimy thing taste good.Naturally, if you head down south toward the Mediterranean coast, there are countless places serving seafood. Fresh seafood. Since I'm from Colorado, which happens to be a bit inland, I tend to get over-excited about eating seafood that didn't have to travel on an airplane, or that isn't being served at the Red Lobster.There is one place in La Grande Motte that my husband I & like to go to - they have an awesome bouillabaisse there. You have to order it earlier that day, or the day before because it takes that long for them to make it just for you.In case you don't know, bouillabaisse is just a type of soup that is made with different kinds of fish & shellfish.So, we get to the restaurant...we have some wine...... &...
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The “Fuck It” Method for Fleeing the Country

by Rasmenia Comment Closed
Just in case any of you have ever thought that you might like to flee the country & live elsewhere, I've decided to share with you my own, patented 10-point system to make it happen.1. Stop dating. Dates are horrible rituals that feel more like an audition, anyway. Fuck that - start dating online. The best way is to find someone in another country so that you don't have to go out to dinner or movies or any of that shit with them.2. After about a year of emails, phone calls & trips overseas, begin the process of inundating yourself with a bunch of bullshit paperwork & red tape to bring your foreigner to the United States.3. Decide, "fuck that" when it becomes too much work. Discover that it's easier for an American to go to another country than it is for a foreigner to come to the states. Remind yourself that the more distance between you & Bush, the...
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Landing on The Big Mound

Landing on The Big Mound

by Rasmenia Comment Closed
Okay... so, after the feline vomit, bovine ass-slides and canine crap, we made our way down south to the coast until we reached the resort of La Grande Motte, which I learned means "The Big Mound." Big mound of what, I have no idea. All three of us were so happy to arrive, that we all took part in a raucous dance of joy.After all of that nonsense, we decided to head out to a pizza place nearby to stuff ourselves with pizza, rosé wine, sangria, fried calamari and shrimp. We decided to work off a few calories after our display of gluttony, so we stopped to shoot a few zombies.After the long car ride from Parensol to La Grande Motte, the dancing jackasses, the gluttonous feast and zombie killing, everyone had pretty much had their asses kicked for the day and had rendered themselves useless for the rest of the evening. ...
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