Lost in the City

I swear, this blog is turning into a baseball blog... It's not really my intent, but what can I say?
So I'm down South at my parents right now, getting ready to take the train back to Paris in a little while. I decided to spend a few days here when I still can, because starting in April I won't have vacation for a year.
I have been serious about my rehab since the accident, and I still am. In Paris, it's either indoors cycling or swimming. Here, I took my bike out for a ride on Sunday and Monday. I biked a route I hadn't been on for a long time, with a nice hill in the middle, and I can't believe how fast I climbed that one. The only time I went so fast was when I came back from a "cycling vacation" in the Alps - where I climbed most of the major mountain passes.
On Tuesday, I did something totally different though. I had brought my baseball glove, ball and bat from Paris, and my mom had borrowed a couple of gloves at the Junior High she teaches at... so I went to the town's stadium with both my parents to play for a while. We played catch at first and tried some batting after that. It was really fun. The only thing left to try is real pitching... I'll find a way.
Time to sign off now, so I can get ready and take my train back to the capital city. There is some leafleting waiting for me as soon as tomorrow morning.

This one, I couldn't pass... YES, I got a job, the first one I actually applied to. I sent my resume at the end of January, got a call a couple of days later, an interview 10 days after that, then a second interview, and a third one. That brought us to today, when I got a late but very nice call to tell me I had been selected. I'll start on April 2nd. How is that for good news?
It's a permanent position with the IRSN, quite demanding for a first job but very interesting and challenging as well, so it's promising. The IRSN is the French Institute for Nuclear Safety and Radioprotection. It provides expertise and research in nuclear safety and radiological protection. More clearly, it ensures the safety of all nuclear uses (industrial, energy production, military, medical) in the country. My task will basically be to help the Institute sharing its expertise with the public: how to share information, how to build partnerships and projects together... I'll be working on some local and international projects, and keeping an eye out for new legislation regarding administrative transparency. I won't know which part of the job will be the most important until I start. We shall see. For now, I'll get back to study D.C., concentrate on my rehab and relax for a while, watching Cub games on mlb.com for exemple. Sounds like a good plan :-)

So I've been silent for a while... not really because I forgot about my blog, more because I didn't have much to say. But now I'm thinking I should post a message anyway to give you some general update.
I've been in Paris for about a month now. The health is slowly improving thanks to daily training. The job hunt is going well. I have a few interesting leads, enough not to be stressed out about the whole thing (so much) anymore.
Now I wouldn't be myself if I failed to comment on the beginning of spring training. I bet some of you won't even know what the hell I'm talking about. Others, knowing about my cubbies' obsession (obsessed, me???), will for sure. Anyway, The Cubs are playing in the Cactus league, with home games in Mesa, Arizona. Since I won't be able to catch games on tv this year, I signed up for the yearly package of MLB. No idle sleepless nights for me: I'll be able to listen to the Cubs' victories live now (Oh stop rolling your eyes, please...). The first game was on Thursday. The Cubbies lost big time against the Giants (9-2). On Friday, it was 9-6 against the Angels... and yesterday, they got a tie with Oakland. Call me hopeless, but I really believe they can do good this year (yes, really). Not just because this year is last year's "next year". I like Piniella as a manager. I think he has what he takes to change the spirit of the team. The pitching rotation sounds good... Zambrano did good on Friday, and I'm hoping Prior and Wood won't crowd the disabled list this year. Then there is Soriano. Although he didn't hit much during the past games, I'm confident he'll come around soon enough. Ok, I get it, enough about the Cubs.
By the way, yes, I know the Bears lost the Superbowl. They didn't deserve to win this one, they just weren't in the game. But they still had a great season, and I enjoyed every second of it! Looking forward to next year.
One last thing... not baseball related (now, how amazing is that, uh?): I decided to check out craigslist Paris a few days ago, and I noticed it's growing. A year ago, almost everything was blank. Now, it's getting interesting. I might even find a temporary gig if my job-hunt takes longer than expected.
Well, those where the news... see you in a bit!