Coontry Mewsique (that's French for Country Music)

We had a big night last night.  We stayed out past midnight to watch Robert Myer (a native Alsacian) play classic American Country music.  The song clips on his myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/robmacmyer)%20don't do him justice as his voice is amazing.  He sounds a lot like Eddie Vedder.  He played a great rendition of John Denver's "Contry Roads"- a song which always makes me feel very patriotic. 

However, the comical highlight was when he played Keep on the Sunny Side.  You might know this song as it was covered in O Brother Where Art Thou.  Every - I mean each and every - French person in the bar knew every word.  It was quite a bizarre sing along where I knew the chorus but then listened to the French people for the rest of the lyrics (pasted below).  All in all a very enjoyable night. 

James had fun and was reminded his Alabama roots.  The music also reminded him of the following funny little ditty which I'll share with you.  Here goes:  "But where I come from, rain is a good thing.  Rain makes corn and corn makes whiskey.  And whiskey makes my baby, a little friskey."

For those of you wondering where Conor was for our big Wednesday night out (i.e. his grandparents), we left him with our new babysitter, Ariel.  She is an American foreign exchange student in Strasbourg for the year.  She's from Colorado Springs.  She's very nice and lives two doors down from us so its very convenient.  I feel like I was the one doing the babysitting not so long ago so the whole role reversal thing is a bit strange.  I wonder if she thinks we're cool young parents (obviously the case) or that we're old and unrelatable.   I probably try too hard so its probably the latter :)

Conor Update:  Conor is a rolling over machine these days.  There's no stopping him.  Today I had to change his dirty diaper (a very dirty one if you know what I mean) from behind as he tried to jump off the changing table.  At one point I had him by one leg as he was simultaneously doing his best to dip the other in poop and lunge in the other direction.  

I don't have any new pictures to post so here's one from a few weeks ago:

for those of you still reading, I was just about to post when I came accross this rediculous piece of journalism in sfgate: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=74547&tsp=1.   Should our politicians really be worried about the "ins and outs of urban living" for BIRDS!!  I'm officially starting the "lights on San Francisco" campaign against birds. 

Keep On The Sunny Side

There's a dark and a troubled side of life

There's a bright and a sunny side, too

Tho' we meet with the darkness and strife

The sunny side we also may view

[chorus]

Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,

Keep on the sunny side of life

It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way

If we'll keep on the sunny side of life

The storm and its fury broke today,

Crushing hopes that we cherish so dear;

Clouds and storms will, in time, pass away,

The sun again will shine bright and clear.

Let us greet with the song of hope each day

Tho' the moment be cloudy or fair

Let us trust in our Saviour always

Who keepeth everyone in His care^[3]