Ramblings of a Thirty-Something

There comes a time in every television show's life where the end is near. You may notice it by lackluster storylines or uncharacteristic character actions or new plot twists added only for their shock value. For some shows, there is never any sign. The season simply ends, ready to go on to a second season, and then the studio decides to cut it from their lineup. Like, for example, ABC's Forever , which I am still holding out hope that it will come back to me...I mean us, all television viewers. For other shows, like The Mentalist , there comes a point when the original story arc is completed, and so the show comes to a conclusion, ties up all loose ends, and throws an amazing farewell party (like the wedding between Jane and Lisbon...oh, it was wonderful!). Well, Hell on Wheels  now fits into that last category. The fifth season premiered on Saturday night, and as we have been reminded again and again via Twitter and other outlets, this is the final season. Which, to me, begs

History has always been one of my favorite subjects. I've always loved learning about the way things used to be, the way people used to live. Perhaps this has something to do with the universality of the human experience:  when you dig down to the most basic aspect, all of our lives revolve around the same needs and wants. We need food, shelter, and water. We want love, comfort, power, a place to belong. The basic need of food means something different now than it did 200 years ago--even 50 years ago--but it is still something that every human must address. That idea can make one very philosophical, especially while travelling in such an old place as Paris. I'll touch on that idea more when I get to the Tower of London, but it really makes one think. As I mentioned in my last post, Notre Dame is one of my favorite landmarks in Paris. Everything about the cathedral I find fascinating--the architecture (even though I'm no student of the subject), the history, the art. It si

Well, it is hard for me to believe that a month ago, I was in England. We walked down to the pier, had fish and chips on the seafront, and then England decided to show its true nature...and it rained. There isn't much to do when it rains, so we went to see Jurassic World . And prepared to leave for Paris. In my last post, I mentioned that Paris has been (and can be) a bit of a let-down if one is expecting the Paris you see in movies and tv shows. However, some things are exactly what you think they're going to be--and even better, in some cases. We were in Paris for three and a half days (although one of them was spent far from the city, which I will touch on in another post). The first stop on our homegrown sight-seeing tour was, of course, the Eiffel Tower. And yes, the Eiffel Tower is that impressive in real life. Obviously, you know it is tall, but when you're standing there next to it or under it or across the street from it, it really puts it into perspective.

Ah, Paris! I know what you're thinking...Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, romance, artists on the street corners, musicians playing La Vie en Rose or Bella Note  on the accordian... Well, that's not what Paris is like. Sorry. Obviously, the buildings are there. And I'm sure it can be romantic if you are there with a significant other. And probably somewhere in the city you'll find artists and musicians. But unfortunately, Paris has this reputation from movies and tv shows, and if that is what you are expecting, Paris will let you down. I don't blame Paris as much as I blame Hollywood. I have to say, my first experiences of Paris four years ago, while they were good experiences, left me indifferent about the city. I really didn't care if I ever went back. I'd seen what there was to see (and more that I didn't care to see again...one visit to this city's Metro system will leave you feeling the same). Paris is, first and foremost, a city, and