I've been Skyped!

12:17 pm PARIS, tx

Hi friends!!

Yay for blogging! Greetings from the beautiful and historic Paris TX, home to our very own Anna Staples and me for the past two days. While on my visit here me and Anna have been having some great adventures. First, we tried to go out to lunch which I discovered was harder than it sounds in a small town where everything is closed on Mondays. Who knew? Not this suburban girl. I also had the opportunity to go sightseeing and saw a real live eiffel tower (with a red cowboy hat on top) Later we wandered out to the family's land and fed their longhorns (ssss) which was quite slimy, yet pleasant. And for the first time ever I climbed on a four wheeler and we perused around the forest.  Anna taught me how to drive it but I think I gave all of us whiplash with a 3 point turn gone wrong. I hope Anna's friend from high school, Ava, didn't get a bad first impression. Then we saw a wild panther that Anna speared and her mom bar-b-qued. And then we watched an extremely spicy episode of Gossip Girl, don't you just hate G? 

Today we did a lot of...not a whole lot. But we did get to go to the bank and talk to a really sweet lady with an equally sweet voice, very similar to the girl that checked us out at the video store. I don't know what it is about Paris people and their sweet accents, but I like it. Reminds me of Texarkana accents. 

Then we SKYPED with Kelly C!! For those of you uninformed about the wonderful world of Skype, it is basically like making a phone call between two computers but also with video, and its completely free!  So me and Anna sat in front of the computer and talked/saw Kelly for over an hour. It is so great, we are going to do it while Kelly is in Spain and Anna Italy. Download it from skype.com and we can all see each others bright shining faces from all over the world.  And I have to admit, I am envious of any Mac user because I require 4 different cords to use Skype (earpiece/microphone and web cam) and with a Mac all of that is already on your computer so it is much easier. But it was not hard enough to deter me from using it, I found a really cheap pair of web cams and headsets at Radio Shack.  

Well its time for us to say goodnight (insert scene from Sound of Music where the Von Trap Family children sing goodnight) Peace out bloggers, love you all!

Katie and Anna 

  

I still like the Pangean Backpack...

11:34 p.m.; Paris, Texas...Where the eiffel tower has a big red hat. 

Yep... we have an eiffel tower, and it has a disgusting red cowboy hat on top of it. You'd think it'd attract tourists, but they built it right next to a campbell soup plant... and the air smells like creamy mexican tortillas mixed with dead chicken. Oh, and garlic. 

My parents wonder why I'd rather be in Italy all summer...

With that being said, Paris is just the same as when I left it. However, there are a few exceptions... we have a Starbucks, Pet-Co is moving in across from the wall mart, and Target is on it's way (or so I've heard). 

My family, on the other hand, has decided to invest in cows. It was really sudden, and took us all by surprise. My dad became a rancher overnight. It was weird at first, but we're adjusting. They're kinda cute... the cows, I mean. My dad insisted that we bring our lawn chairs out to the farm, so we could watch them. And by watch.. I mean watch. We sat for AT LEAST an hour watching large animals eat grass. Their domestic cows. They let my dad pet them and they eat out of his hand... I don't think that's normal. But neither is an eiffel tower with a red cowboy hat... I need to get out of here. 

I will be in Florence from May 17th - July 28th. Please call me if you'll be there.. actually I'll be pissed if you don't. My international number is +39 335-764-1966 (p.s.- I just felt REALLY cool saying 'My international number...')

I miss you guys! 

However you end things,

Anna