Paging McDreamy…

Well not quite but the last week at the chateau brewed more stories than the Private Practice spin-off. Beating this group in the wildest stories category will be difficult! I’ll explain… my most favorite of the art teachers Barbara and her husband Charlie have been regulars at the Chateau and always bring the BEST guests. This year was no different with a brood from Austin, Texas!

Their home town and the location of the sweetest people on earth. Couples, all of them, the most notable being the 53 year old type A woman with the 85 year old husband who tells her she works too hard. They’ve been together 13 years and have an 11 year old together. Lucky # 6 for old man rivers, who has 5 from his previous wife of 40 years. I know what you’re thinking but it couldn’t be farther to the truth. They really DO love each other. After all I spent two weeks with them, I’m the expert ;). This man has his engines a blazin and is the most alert, rambunctious 85 year old I’ve ever come across and the only the Chateau has ever seen. Also in the mix a return couple who warm my heart, Dana and Ed. The two cutest people on earth. I felt as though I was their guest, they’re so kind and adorable. With 26 years of marriage under their belt and a special toast at the first dinner to celebrate, the 2 weeks were nothing but smooth sailing and all laughs.


Now back to the Dr’s. Charlie is one of those people you ask if he knows if there are aliens and he says something like, “I can’t confirm or deny that.” I know it may sound like he’s a bit of a crazy but with 20 years at Nasa, I believe every word that comes out of his mouth. He’s incredible, commands any room but is a total softy and is most definitely the smartest person I’ve ever come in contact with. With his extremely talented and kind hearted wife by his side, it’s a good thing these two never had kids as they’d be running the world. Charlie now works for the U.S. Army and decided that after all the artsy fartsy weeks were finished, he’d bring in the real men of the Excited States and their wives of course.

We were fortunate enough to house and make puke (too much breakfast and a hard bike ride up a death hill) some of the most incredible head of surgeons working for our military today. With stories of Baghdad, trauma unit life changing decisions and Head of surgery GSW’s, the week progressed with little boredom. One of the guests was the head of surgery at a Seattle hospital before working for the Army and I was fortunate enough to sit by him at one of the dinners and the following is what I acquired:

Me: “What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever seen in your whole career as a doctor?”


Fancy Pants’ response: Well this one time this guy shot a cop and then tried to evade the police. When they finally caught up to him, (they always do) they beat the living crap out of him. Rodney King style. This gentlemen, was obviously in need of some medical attention after such a rigorous exercise in Mortal kombat, so they brought him to the ER. Whist waiting, this fine specimen of the human race decided even shackles, handcuffs and a room full of officers was no match for his brawn and intellect. So he decided to get up and slowly inch towards the door. And by slowly I mean you can’t go very fast when you’re feet are handcuffed together. So he begins his long journey and the officers of the ‘peace’ sit and watch him MacGyver his way out of his predicament.


Inch by inch he creeps towards the automated doors of freedom. All the while, the cops sit and watch. Within a foot of his independence, the door opens and too much dismay of the gentlemen, I’m sure, the cops open fire. ONLY IN AMERICA! Apparently once you cross the threshold of the door, you become a dangerous and wanted felon (shackled) evading the police. Now we can’t have that, can we. Being conveniently placed in the hospital, this moran is then escorted into Emergency surgery where his GSW’s are mended and he lives to spend god knows how many year in jail for attempted murder of an officer of the ‘peace.’ Classic. Now let’s hope none of the fractured soles in the waiting room decided to become cops.

BANG BANG


Nathalie

First Group Down!

Well since my last entry, things have evolved a bit. All the change I spoke of seems to be no more. My very wise Colleague, A, advised me and asks, what is the most important thing to you right now? You must do everything you can to make whatever that is happen. She tells me that being with the love of her life is what's most important. Fortunately, this job affords her that luxury and she has thus decided to stay on full time and continue to plan and organize the year from the US. Although this means I become head chef of running the tours, I can't help but be a bit saddened that I will not be running the whole show as previously decided. Who can complain though? Less responsibility means less ways to screw up and more time spent with what is most important to me!

The week before guests arrived was all prep. Tons of meetings and something dare I say I enjoy...driving around aimlessly in the countryside looking for poppy fields.

Later on this fab field was discovered...

To much dismay, no fields were found, however the amount of rain that has been falling since I got here 19 days ago is so abundant, one can only hope “May showers bring June flowers?” Not such a great notion for the painters who are about to leave rain drenched and with more knickknacks then I have ever seen purchased. Do people shop more when it’s raining? Yes! It’s the only safe place in town.

Tomorrow marks the departure of my first group and I can't tell you how much I won't miss them :) Having artists around you 24/7 for 2 full weeks begins to tilt your perceptions of reality a bit too much for my comfort. The weeks started off well with a woman having a full blown asthmatic attack the minute she walked through our doors. After deliberation with the paramedics and the doctor who made her remove all and I mean ALL her clothing to listen to her chest, we were off to a great start.

The first week was drenched but the guests were ok staying around the villa and painting the scenes of the town. What surprises me most is that with over 50 artists that have come through these parts, I have never once seen a painting of Billy Holiday, Gucci glasses or any of the other crazies who wander the streets of Limoux, a true staple of the towns character. Since I haven’t mentioned this previously, I’ll explain…

Limoux has the second largest sanitarium (coocoo house) in all of France. This is due to it being one of the sunniest (you could have fooled me) towns in France, receiving and I quote over 300 days of sun a year. Bollocks! Anyways, back to the point, all this sunlight produces Vitamin D, which happens to be extremely good for patients of mental illness…thus the Nuthouse. Most of these guys are pretty harmless and tend to just walk around doing their own thing most of the day, while also performing the utmost civic duties; entertainment for the sane of Limoux.

I can say that the dynamic of the staff has greatly improved since last year. The only possible explanation to this bizarre phenomenon is that we all have boyfriends ;) Oh and that we're all a year older ha. So we’re off to a running start and engines are a blarring! With a 4am drop off tomorrow and a new 10 person two week group coming in, my planned vaca with my honey at the end of the month will be well deserved.

A bien tot.
XO

Nat