Sorry I've been away, gang. I've been busy. Painting my bathroom. I can only imagine how busy Hugo is, painting his host family's entire house. I think Hugo imagines he's pretty busy, too. But his host family is starting to wonder...
Hôte père: Where is Hugo?
Hôte mère: He went to the beach.
Hôte père: It's two o'clock in the afternoon. When does that fainéant plan to finish his job? I think its time to yank his visa.
I worry that we are headed toward a Fantine situation... not that I think Dawn becomes a prostitute, but this has all the makings of an unexpected baby.
"...He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came..."
And just for fun, here's Ruthie Henshall, whom a friend invited me to dinner with back in the late 90's a few years after this recording. I met her a few times back in the day, and she was so sweet and kind to me.
Is that enough content for you? P.S. I've loved reading all your comments. Some wonderful ones the past few days.
Santa Royale is not the Cote d'Azur? Really?
ReplyDeleteWanders, I'd love to see Hugo's host family. They must be furieuse. (Is that conjugated correctly?)
Thanks for adding the Flight of the Conchords song to the jukebox. Search for the video. It's hilarious and you can just imagine Hugo singing it. He'd think it's a serious homage (silent H) to his homeland.
Here in Maine we have a beautiful stretch of sand called Old Orchard Beach. It's a BIG French Canadian vacation destination. A straight shot from Quebec, take Canada 73 to 173 to US 201 then 95 to Sortie 5. I grew up next door in Saco and worked all through high school and college cooking up onion rings and fried clams right there in the square at Palace Playland. It was a good summer job.
ReplyDeleteIf Hugo was Quebecois, this strip would be deja vu.
I remember the first time I heard that song—it still packs an emotional wallop. Thanks for giving us this rendition.
ReplyDeleteAs for Dawn’s “childhood”, that was about thirty years ago, and multiple ships have sailed since then. I doubt that it will end some years hence with little Cosette Weston mopping that restroom at Jerry’s Sandwich Shop. (I was about to propose Tommy Beedie as Jean Valjean, but the metaphor is getting way too strained.)
Today's Boldface Haiku is titled
ReplyDelete"I Wonder If His Brushstrokes Are As Backhanded As His Compliments".
Que c'est beau!
Beautiful!
Well known!
Favorite...less crowded!
Not Cote d'Azur,
Forward anyway!
Is Dawn scraping paint off Hugo’s back? Also, she neglected to insert “boring” before “beaches.” What a dull vista June has presented!
ReplyDeleteI’m thinking Hugo’s host family is the Tee-Hee Twosome, a.k.a. Olive’s entwined and clueless parents. They moved to Santa Royale and left Olive behind in NYC (“Daughter? What daughter? You mean we have a daughter?”) That explains why Hugo has such a relaxed painting regimen.
A tip of the beret today to Wanders’s dialogue, @fauxprof’s “Cosette Weston,” and @Nance’s BFH title.
So Dawn and Hugo are about to reenact From Here to Eternity. [Writer] James Jones loved Paris but moved back to the US because his kids were growing up too French. Take that, Froggy!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI love Hugo's back-handed compliments: This beach is beautiful, but it's no Cote d'Azur. This pizza's great, but it's not as good as one I had once in Italy.
I'm waiting for this next: Dawn, you're so lovely and charming. Not as desirable as a girl I knew in Marseille, but I enjoy spending time with you.
-- Scottie McW.
Here's hoping for a great white shark.
ReplyDeleteHugo must be using heavy lead paint 'cause that dude is swole! Makin' gains in the USA!
ReplyDeleteThis IS shark week...
ReplyDeleteHey, Hugo! The 1950's called and they want those bathing trunks back.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering "pour quoi" Hugo left the much superior France for the clearly inferior United States. Oh, I know! Because even his fellow French men and women hate him. And that includes Guy de Maupassant from the grave.
ReplyDeleteOK, I keep saying Hugo was going to fall off a ladder while painting his host's house. Now I think he's going to drown. Hate to be so morbid - but I think Something really bad is headed his way
ReplyDelete