This week, I'm embarking on the first real, (semi-)planned vacation that I've had in (what seems like) forever. It's not just me going to visit Frosty in Dresden or Tübingen or my last "vacation" to Oklahoma in which I showed Schmiddy the touristy sights of Oklahoma City. By the way, that last vacation is in quotes, because, well, parental death sort of cancels out the holiday feeling. Anyway, this is a real vacation. A traveling-to-a-destination...and staying-in-a-hotel type vacation. For Christmas, C.Dub made/gave me and Frosty a little coupon for a hotel stay (and coffee) in Paris. Free to cash in at any time and that's what we're doing. Between Christmas and now, I've had plenty of time to at least try to learn some basic French phrases. I have not done this. At present, I can say "hello", "goodbye", "thanks", "thanks a lot", "you're welcome", "cheese" and "the taste of the ch